You Save Me
by xxCarrie-Annxx
Summary: Gabriella finds herself in a bad relationship, but when Troy finds out, will he be able to protect her or will something happen that no one can prevent? TG.
1. chapter 1

AN: I know this story is done and has been done for...a while. I've decided that I'm not satisfied with the original and am working to make it better, so hopefully it turns out that way.

Disclaimer: It's never gonna be mine.

* * *

Walking through the halls of East High, Gabriella Montez made her way through the sea of people and straight to her locker, gently fingering the ends of her long, brown hair which was pulled into a side ponytail. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and stopped, startled.

"Hey, girl, what's up?" Smiling, Gabriella turned to see her second best friend, Taylor McKessie, standing behind her.

"Not much," she lied.

"Oh really? Are you sure about that?" Taylor interrogated, seeing through the lie.

"There's no hiding anything from you, is there?" Gabriella asked, trying not to laugh at her friend's curiosity.

"I'm sorry, but, no," Taylor said, smiling.

"Oh fine. Lance asked me to be his girlfriend," she gushed, a smile spreading across her own face.

"And, did you accept?" Taylor prompted.

"Duh! Of course I did!" she answered excitedly. "I've never had a boyfriend before, and I really like him. He seems like a nice guy."

"What about all the girlfriends he's had in the past? He's probably slept with all of them," Taylor pointed out.

"He swears he's not like that and that he doesn't force girls to sleep with him," Gabriella replied. Although she'd never heard him say it before, she was usually a good judge of character and felt that maybe he wasn't like everyone said he was.

"Well, what about Troy?" Taylor asked her.

Gabriella frowned slightly at the mention of Troy Bolton, East High's golden boy and star basketball player, who happened to also be her best friend. Although, she didn't meet him at school. She met him at a ski lodge over winter break.

Like any normal girl, Gabriella did have a crush on Troy. With his shaggy, light-brown hair, his deep, beautiful blue eyes, his award-winning smile and his strong arms, seemingly every girl in school was vying for Troy's heart. Even though she secretly had a crush on him and they were friends, Gabriella knew that that lucky girl would never be her.

"What about him?" Gabriella said after snapping out of her thoughts.

"You like him," Taylor pointed out. "And, apparently, he likes you, too."

"Troy and I are just friends," Gabriella argued. "But, after we're done with the musical, he'll probably forget I exist."

"I saw him kiss your cheek after you guys sang on stage together. And, everyone saw how comfortable you were with each other while performing. It was breathtaking," Taylor stated. "Then not long afterwards, I do believe it was the two of you who tried taking it even further in the gym."

"Troy said that he was just congratulating me and thanking me when he kissed my cheek," she defended. "And, it was just heat of the moment when we tried to kiss in the gym, and I'm glad Chad interrupted because that would've been awkward."

"Why'd you guys try to again, then?" Taylor questioned, knowing she had her beat.

"Uh…I'm not sure…." Gabriella answered, nervously biting her bottom lip as a slight blush spread across her face.

"Admit it, Gabriella, you like him and you know it," Taylor said.

"Okay, okay! I like Troy! There! Happy now?" Gabriella admitted. "But, please, don't tell anyone!"

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Taylor assured her, smiling triumphantly. "So, by the way, have you talked to him lately?"

Gabriella shook her head sadly. "Not much since Tuesday."

"What happened?" Taylor asked.

"He saw Lance kiss me and has been ignoring me ever since," Gabriella explained.

"He's probably jealous," Taylor assured her.

"Jealous of what? He has everything!" Gabriella cried, although she knew what Taylor meant.

"Everything but you."

Hello, ladies." Gabriella and Taylor turned to find none other than Troy Bolton standing behind them, grinning boyishly at them, although Gabriella noticed it seemed forced. What if Taylor was right? That thought made her feel guilty though she hid it behind a fake smile of her own.

"Hey, Troy," Taylor greeted, but Gabriella stayed silent. Figuring it would be best to give the pair some alone time, Taylor started walking away. "I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, Gabriella."

An awkward silence fell upon Troy and Gabriella, both unsure what to say, but after a few seconds, Gabriella started to walk away. "Uh, I'll see you later, Troy. I've got to get my books."

"Wait, Gabriella, think you could spare a moment?" Troy asked her, his soft blue eyes baring deeply into her chocolate-brown ones.

"Uh, I guess so," she answered, unable to tear her eyes away from his gaze.

"So, I guess you and Lance are official," Troy said, unable to hold in the subject that bothered him the most. He liked Gabriella and thought that he might've had a chance with her, but, apparently, she didn't feel the same way from what he saw. He hadn't spoken to her in four days, after catching her with her new boyfriend. It hurt him too much, and it still hurt to be talking to her now, for the image was still engraved in his mind. It hurt because it was his lips that should've been kissing her and his arms that should've been wrapped around her, never Lance Matthews. He should've never even spoken to her.

"Uh, yeah, why? Do you think I shouldn't?" Gabriella asked him, deep down hoping for him to say yes.

"Uh, no, you can date whoever you want to date. I can't control your life, I'm just your friend," Troy replied, wishing he did have that control. Then, maybe she would've chose him, he thought. However, he knew that, as her friend, he was expected to go along with whoever she chose, even when that someone wasn't him.

"I know, but, Troy, I've been thinking about what happened after the callbacks, when you tried to kiss me and how you reacted to knowing about Lance and I. It's not normal for friends to be like that," Gabriella pointed out.

"When I tried to kiss you, it was heat of the moment and from all the excitement. I was just shocked when I saw him kissing you because I didn't think it would go past that one date," he explained. "I care a lot about you and I just don't want you to get hurt." Troy breathed a sigh of relief, for he knew the question was coming but didn't have a preplanned answer. This answer seemed reasonable enough, however, and it wasn't a lie. It just wasn't the whole truth.

"Oh," Gabriella said, sounding disappointed. She was hoping he would say that he had feelings for her. She wanted him to say he was jealous. Although, Troy Bolton wasn't like that. He would never have feelings for a girl like her, friend or not. He could have any girl in the school in a second, and so there was no way he would fall for the geeky new girl. In fact, she knew if they hadn't met over break that he would've never talked to her once at East High.

"Why so disappointed?" Troy teased her.

"I'm not disappointed," Gabriella denied.

"Whatever, but you know you want me," Troy teased, making Gabriella blush.

"Get over yourself, Bolton!" she scolded playfully.

"It must be true or else you wouldn't be blushing," he pointed out, smirking. "Admit it, Montez. Not even a smart girl like you can resist the Troy Bolton charm."

"No, more like you want me," she teased back. "If you didn't, you wouldn't be teasing me about wanting you, which is so not true."

_Maybe I do_, he thought, but answered by saying, "If I did, you would know." Her breaths became uneven as he came closer to her, continuing to stare into her eyes only suddenly with an overwhelming amount of passion. Once he was directly in front of her, he locked his hands on either side of her waist and leaned toward her lips. Gabriella gasped in shock and found herself also leaning forward, completely lost in his enchanting eyes.

When their lips were centimeters apart, Gabriella closed her eyes and Troy's head turned so his lips were less than a centimeter away from her ear. "Psych," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear and causing her to shiver with desire.

"Uh, that was mean!" Gabriella complained, smacking his chest.

Troy chuckled, reluctantly letting her go. "What? After all, you don't want me."

Before she could respond, a pair of loud footsteps marched down the hall. Troy sighed, knowing he would have to leave. "I should probably be going. See you later, Gabriella." With that said, Troy started walking away, leaving her to feel the sudden need to have him there again. She didn't understand why, but she had a bad feeling that something was about to happen.

"Bye, Troy," she called before he got too far away. By that time, the hallways were almost empty, leaving just Gabriella and the boy behind her.

"What was that?" the teen snapped once Troy was in homeroom.

"What was what, Lance? I was just talking to Troy. He's my friend," Gabriella replied innocently, turning to face her broad, tall, and dangerous boyfriend. He was much stronger than Troy. He was the captain of the football team, after all. His blond hair was crew-cut, and his green eyes were filled with anger. "We were playing around. He didn't kiss me or anything."

"You're mine now, remember? You shouldn't be_ 'playing around'_ with any guy!" Lance snapped angrily, backing her into the lockers and pinning her with his arms.

Fearfully, Gabriella nodded. With his 6-foot, 5-inch height and his broad, muscular body, she found him quite intimidating.

Just then, the warning bell rang, causing Lance to pull away from her.

"Remember what I said or else there'll be hell to pay," Lance threatened, walking away to his homeroom. Pressing her hand over her heart, Gabriella tried to control her breathing but failed miserably. Her hands trembled as she clutched her knees tightly. No one had ever scared her this much before.


	2. Chapter 2

Waiting in his fifth period history class, Troy sat in the third row watching the clock, wishing his teacher would finish the lesson early. After all, there were only five minutes left of class, and so he found no crime in her finishing now. He was anxious for lunch, for that was the next place he would see Gabriella. Aside from homeroom, the only class Troy had with her was study hall seventh period since the rest of her classes were advanced, except gym. She was a highly intelligent, beautiful young woman in his eyes and he knew he was clearly out of her league. Why else would she be dating someone else if she had any feelings for him? She made it apparent that she did not.

However, he remembered how eager she looked when he was about to kiss her. Her lips were puckered, ready to kiss him, her eyes were closed in anticipation, and she was leaning towards him. He could've done it. He could've easily kissed her. Alas, he saw Lance's shadow and knew he had to stop or else it would've spelled disaster for the girl he cared about the most.

Troy sighed quietly. Hewould do anything to be more than just friends with her. He was tired of fighting the urge to kiss her and touch her in ways only her boyfriend could. Every time she was near, all he could think about was how wonderful it would feel to hold her in his arms and just kiss her. He was oh so close to telling her how he felt about her until Lance, the captain of the football team, entered the picture. Now all hope of her ever becoming his seemed lost.

The thought of Lance and Gabriella together made Troy sick to his stomach. Gabriella was too good for him and deserved much better. Ever since Troy met Lance in kindergarten, he was nothing but a bully. The only ones who didn't know that were new students, such as Gabriella. Troy and everyone else wanted to tell her the truth about him, but, at the same time, they knew Lance would just come after them if he found out that they told. However, he knew that if Lance ever hurt her he wouldn't hesitate to tell her. He knew he should've told her weeks ago, but he never gave it much thought, until he saw them in the hallway the other day. He wanted nothing more than for them to break up and for him to be exposed, but Gabriella would never listen. She was too stubborn. Besides, he knew that if he told her now that she wouldn't trust himself as much. He had no viable proof.

Troy was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't realize the bell rang and that he was the only one in the room; even the teacher had left. Finally realizing this, he groaned and stood up, and, with books in hand, he headed for lunch.

* * *

"Hey, Gabriella!" Gabriella turned to see her friend Kelsi Nielson coming towards her in the cafeteria.

"Hey, Kels," Gabriella greeted her, smiling warmly at the petite girl. She decided not to tell her friends about the earlier incident involving Lance, figuring what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

"So, are you ready for rehearsals after school?" Kelsi asked her.

"Yeah, of course," she answered. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday after school, she and Troy met with Kelsi to rehearse for the winter musical. The past three rehearsals were the only times Troy spoke to her up until that morning.

"I did throw in a little extra," Kelsi said.

"What?"

"Well, since I now know for sure Ryan and Sharpay aren't the leads, I decided to throw in a kiss at the end between Arnold and Minnie," Kelsi said as Gabriella gulped.

"But that would mean Troy and I have to kiss," Gabriella pointed out, feeling nervous at thought of kissing Troy, even though she did want to kiss him and they almost did only a few hours before. Staged kiss or not, she was afraid now of Lance going ballistic if he found out.

"Yeah, but maybe this'll turn out to be a good thing," Kelsi stated. "Maybe you two will feel a spark in the kiss and get together."

"But, I'm with Lance, and Troy would never date me. He's too good for me," Gabriella argued stubbornly, looking at the floor in distress.

"Gabriella, Troy likes you, it's obvious to everyone but you," Kelsi assured her.

"He only sees me as a friend. He said so himself," Gabriella pointed out.

"He says that because he's scared you'll reject him if he says how he feels, but, Gabriella, trust me on this," she persuaded. "Before you came along, he didn't like talking to girls that often. He would occasionally talk to a few cheerleaders, but, from what I've seen, he never flirted with them or carried on with them, but, now, he's doing all that with you."

"He probably just thinks of me as a sister. I think of him as more like a brother," she lied smoothly.

"Oh really? The brother who tried to kiss you? Twice if not more?" Kelsi questioned.

"Hey, Gabriella, I didn't know you had a brother." Gabriella jumped in surprise when a third voice entered the conversation, but she smiled and turned around, knowing who the voice belonged to.

"And, isn't it gross that he tried to kiss you?" This question made Gabriella giggle lightly.

"No, Troy, I don't have a blood brother, I just have a friend who's like a brother," she explained.

"Oh, okay. Who is he?" Troy asked her, although he knew who she was talking about. He didn't want to pass up the opportunity to see her blushing.

"You," Kelsi answered before Gabriella could, causing her to blush.

"So, you think of me as a brother?" he asked her, trying to hide his disappointment.

"Um, yeah," Gabriella answered shyly, rocking on her heels.

"So, am I overbearing?" he questioned. "Annoying, possibly?"

Gabriella laughed. "You like asking questions, I'll give you that much."

"Yo, Troy, can you come here?" Sighing, Troy turned toward his table of jocks and nodded before turning back to Gabriella.

"Uh, I have to go. I'll see you ladies later," Troy told them, leaving the two.

"See? Now he's upset because he sees you as more than that," Kelsi said.

Suddenly, a pair of arms snaked around Gabriella's waist. She shivered as her earlier fear resurfaced. "Hey, Gabriella. Hi...Kelsi, right?" Lance greeted them. "Gabi, will you walk with me for a minute?"

"Uh, Kels, I have to go," Gabriella told her, hiding the fear from her voice and features as her boyfriend led her out of the cafeteria.

* * *

"I thought I told you never to speak to him again!" Lance bellowed. They were now alone outside the cafeteria.

"You never told me I couldn't talk to him!" she defended. "Besides, you can't control who my friends are! I've known him longer than I've known you, and based on the way you're acting now, I'd choose him!"

Abruptly, he punched her in the face, sending her back against the wall in shock. "Don't back talk me! You're a girl, meaning you're supposed to be docile and obedient!"

"This isn't 1950!" Gabriella shot back, her body shaking. No one had ever hit her before, and she was shocked by how fast it happened, as well as how much it hurt.

This time, he grabbed her by her arms and pinned her to the wall. Gabriella was too stunned to struggle. "Men and women will never be equal because the only thing you women are good for is sex!"

Gabriella wanted to protest, but she was too afraid. She didn't want him to hurt her worse.

"You're mine, Montez," he said in a low whisper. "If I catch you near him again, he's going to get it." Fearfully, Gabriella gulped and nodded. "And, if you tell anyone about this, then your life is going from bad to worse," he threatened and left her standing there.

Once he was out of sight, she ran to wherever her legs took her, which, in this case, was Troy's hiding place, hoping he wouldn't be there. She needed a place where she could clear her min, where she could be alone. Unfortunatelyfor her, he was there.

"Uh, hey, Gabriella. Haven't seen you up here lately," Troy greeted her nervously, motioning for her to join him on the bench. He hadn't seen her there for the past week; why did she decide to join him now? He wasn't complaining; he liked being with her, but he couldn't help but to question it.

"Yeah. I just needed a place to relax," she told him, sitting next to him.

"Well, you've come to the right place," he replied, but his smile faded when he saw the red hand print on her cheek. Immediately, panic rose within him. Who dared to hit her? She was too gentle to get into a fight. Whoever did this would pay..."Gabriella, what happened? Who hit you?"

"Uh, Troy, it's nothing, really," she lied, covering her cheek with her hand instinctively, even though he already saw it.

"Yeah, right! Gabriella, tell me now because whoever hit you is dead!" he said angrily.

"It was an accident!" she defended.

"An accident? Gabriella, that looks too painful to be an accident!" Troy argued, realization dawning on him. It had to be, he thought. It was the only logical explanation. "Matthews did that, didn't he?"

"No, Troy, it wasn't him!" she lied again. She hated lying to him, but she was sworn to secrecy. What was she supposed to do? "Why would you think that?"

"Because I know how he is," he started. "He's always been nothing but a bully and a liar."

He's changed," she defended, although knowing that it was another lie. She refused to tell Troy the truth, no matter what. Why should he care what happened to her? They barely knew each other, but, yet, he acted as though they were life-long best friends. He should just wish her luck and move on, she thought.

Troy sighed. "I just don't want to see you get hurt. You're a very special girl and I love you."

Gabriella's eyes widened in shock as those three words rolled off his tongue. They sounded so sweet and sincere and she wished she could hear it all of the time. Hearing this from someone so sweet, so _perfect_, was almost unrealistic to her. His words echoed in her mind; he loved her, and he thought she was special. As fantasies of them together flew through her mind, she was quickly snapped back into reality when he continued.

"I love you, as a friend, of course," he added, causing her to frown in dismay. Troy noticed this and felt a tiny ounce of hope. _'Maybe it's not a lost cause after all.'_

"Thanks, Troy, that really means a lot," she said, although she was still slightly disappointed.

"I'm always here for you, remember that," he stated. "If he hurts you, I want you to please tell me, because I know his capabilities...and his long list of women. Gabi, I don't want you to be the next one on that list."

"Thanks, you're a great friend, Troy. The best friend a girl could ask for," she somberly replied. "And, I will."

"You know, Lance should consider himself lucky to have you," Troy murmured, jealousy rising in his voice. He hated the fact that she chose Lance over him. What made him so special? What did he have that Troy didn't?

"Why?"

"Because, you're pretty, smart, sweet, caring and so much more. Girls like you don't come along everyday," he explained. "That's why I never want to see you get hurt. You know how you said I was like a brother to you? Well, I feel like an over-protective big brother toward you sometimes, like right now."

Gabriella smiled up at him, for that's something no-one had ever said to her before. She found it sweet that he cared so much for her, and his eyes proved his sincerity. However, it was then that she noticed Troy's face drawing closer to hers. Before, she yearned for this to happen. She wanted to feel his lips on hers more than anything. Although, now, she couldn't allow this. Her life was complicated enough without adding a kiss into the yet reluctantly, she pulled away, leaving Troy startled.

"I, uh, got to go. Taylor wants me to help her with something," she lied for the fourth time that afternoon, walking briskly off of the rooftop garden.

"Um, okay, see you later," he called after her. When she was gone, Troy slapped his forehead. "Stupid, Troy! Why'd you do that? She doesn't feel that way about you!"


	3. Chapter 3

AN: This chapter wasn't in the original because I came up with it after this part had already been posted but I wanted to put it in now. Hopefully it's okay.

* * *

Saturday evening, Gabriella was curled up on the couch engrossed in a book. Her mother was working late, leaving her home alone. As hard as she tried to, she couldn't shake any of the events from the day before from her mind. Between Lance hitting her and Troy trying to kiss her, she didn't know what to do. She now wanted to be with Troy more than Lance, but after Lance's threats, she felt trapped.

Suddenly, someone from the outside began trying to open the locked door without knocking. Frightened, Gabriella looked outside and found Lance on her doorstep, yelling, "open the damn door!"

Reluctantly, Gabriella did as she was told, and without so much as saying 'hi', Lance's lips crashed down on hers. There was something unusual about this kiss, though. It was rough and hard, and definitely lust-filled. She also tasted alcohol and pulled away.

"Lance, you're drunk!" she yelled, terrified,trying to get as far away from him as possible.

"So what if I am? Get back here!" Lance demanded, grabbing her wrist tightly.

"No!" she cried as he began kissing and biting her neck roughly. Her breathing became shallow as he forced her body against his. She could feel his bulge rubbing against her thigh, frightening her even more. Finally, she managed to push him away again when she felt him attempt to pull down her jeans.

"Leave!" she yelled but he ignored her. Instead, he grabbed her by the hair and began dragging her upstairs to her room. She cried as he shoved her down on her bed and climbed on top of her. Gabriella cried out in pain as he placed his knees on her arms, pinning her to the bed.

"Lance, please, don't do this!" she begged. She knew exactly what he was doing, but there was no way she could defend herself. He was too strong.

"You want this," Lance said huskily, biting down hard on her neck as his hands explored her body.

"No! You know I'm not ready!" Gabriella cried. "Please, get off!" When he didn't, she mustered up enough strength to kick him off of her. Even though it would only prolong her punishment, she refused to be rendered completely helpless. If she could keep him away until Maria came home, then he would have to leave.

Staggering backwards, Lance regained his posture and grabbed her arms, violently shaking her. "You dumb cow! You're supposed to be giving it up by now!"

"Give what up? My virginity?" she questioned, her eyes flashing angrily. "Maybe I don't want my first time to be with you, especially not now!"

Angrily, Lance threw her off the bed and smacked her hard across the face. Whimpering, she held her stinging cheek and looked at him sadly as he spoke, "Who else would want it from you? Oh right, that idiot you've been hanging around might. Then again, he wouldn't want you unless he was desperate and looking for an easy lay."

Looking to the floor, Gabriella knew he was right. No one, especially not Troy, would want her. She wasn't good enough for him, nor did she feel she deserved his love. Although,she wanted to believe that Troy did like her as more than a friend, but it was merely wishful thinking. He would have to be desperate to want someone like her. Lance was the only one who showed any interest in her, if that's what he called it.

"Now, are you going to be a good little girl and let me screw you or will I have to do this the hard way?" Lance asked her in a sickly sweet tone, his grip moving down her arms.

Sighing, Gabriella nodded, giving into his threats. Lance's hands immediately found the hem of her shirt while his lips attacked her neck. A sick feeling entered her stomach as his hands started pulling off her pants. For reasons she didn't know, all she could think about was Troy holding her and what it would feel like to have his arms around her. He would never hurt her. Troy would hold her close to him and keep her safe because he cared about her. Then, he would tell her he loved her....

By now, Gabriella was as lost in her fantasy as allowed under these circumstances. The thoughts of Troy kept her mind from straying to her current predicament, meaning she didn't pay attention as Lance ripped down her pants. When she did notice what he was doing, she closed her eyes and forced more thoughts of Troy into her mind. From his beautiful blue eyes to his perfect-not lanky but also not overly-muscular- body, she tried to focus on all of the details. They may not have been as close as she wished just yet, but she felt completely in love with him. She felt confident in knowing he would be there for her, no matter what happened.

"Troy, help," she whimpered quietly. Before she realized what she had said, Lance smacked her across the face.

"What was that?" he snapped bitterly.

Tears filling her eyes, Gabriella shook her head, not answering his question. Grabbing her by the throat, Lance slammed her against the wall.

"You're still talking to Bolton, aren't you?" Gabriella stayed silent but nodded. Using his other hand, he punched her hard in the stomach. "I told you never to talk to him again! Now he probably knows everything!"

"I-I didn't tell anyone, I swear!" she cried. "He saw my eye and suspected you, but I lied to him and he believed me!"

For this, Lance gripped her neck tighter, using both hands, making it harder for her to breathe. "Yeah, right, you hussy! You probably lied and told him I'm abusing you!"

"But that would be the truth," she stated hoarsely. "And…please…let go."

"Why don't you just get Bolton to come to your rescue if I'm such a bad boyfriend?" he questioned, ignoring her pleas.

"You-you'd kill him," she said, tears filling her eyes at the thought of losing Troy.

Lance smirked. "If you don't want me to kill him, you'll do exactly as I say."

Gabriella gulped and nodded, knowing what would come next. However, before anything could happen, a car pulled into the driveway, most likely indicating her mother was home.

Lance dropped her and cursed under his breath. He walked to the balcony then turned back around, giving her a stern look. "Get rid of him or I'll kill him."

Hesitantly, she nodded. She had to let him go before it was too late. She liked, possibly loved, him but she couldn't let him become involved. She got herself in the mess, and she wanted to get herself out without anyone knowing no matter how impossible it seemed.

"Good." Lance began to climb down the tree from the balcony, the same way Gabriella remembered Troy had done a few weeks ago. Sighing, she closed her balcony and turned the lights off before climbing in bed. She wasn't tired but she couldn't let her mother see her like this.

"Gabi, I'm home, where are you?" Maria called.

"In my room, Mom," she called back, burying her face into her pillow, praying her mother didn't notice anything conspicuous regarding her behavior.

"You're in bed early. Is something wrong?" she asked from the stairs, motherly concern filling her voice.

"N-no, it's nothing, Mom," Gabriella lied.

"I know there's something. Do you want to talk about it?" she pressed.

Gabriella nodded, figuring she could tell her mother at least part of the story. "There's a guy I really like but he's not the one I'm with. He doesn't feel the same about me as I do him, though."

"Just tell Troy how you feel," Maria stated, automatically knowing she was referring to Troy Bolton, the boy who showed up on their doorstep a few weeks ago.

"Who said it's Troy?" Gabriella questioned, blushing at the thought of her mother knowing her so well.

"Gabi, I know these things. I'm your mother, remember?" she replied, chuckling. "Plus, over the last few weeks, I've been hearing you talk in your sleep about him."

Although Maria couldn't see it, Gabriella's face turned bright red. She recalled having a few good dreams about him but she hadn't intended for her mother to know. Especially because, in the few that she remembered, the two were being so intimate with touching each other and kissing...and, she recalled moaning his name several times in the dream, was it possible that Maria heard everything she thought she only said in the dream? This thought caused her blush to increase, if that was possible.

"He's a nice boy, Gabriella, I think you should leave Lance and go for Troy. I have a feeling he likes you, too," Maria assured her. "And, besides, there's something off about Lance...he doesn't seem genuine."

"Mother's intuition?" Gabriella assumed.

"Yep," Maria confirmed.

Gabriella sighed. Her mother's intuition never failed her before, meaning Troy may very well like her back, but she couldn't admit how she felt to him now, not after Lance's threat. It was for his own good that she told him. She would much rather tell him they couldn't be friends than never see him alive ever again. She knew she had to do it, no matter how much it hurt.

"Is that all, dear?" Maria asked her gently.

"Uh, well, Lance is jealous of the friendship I have with Troy. I do like Lance, too," she lied. "What should I do?"

"Just follow your heart," she advised. "It'll never steer you wrong."

"Uh, okay, thanks. I'm tired so I'm going to bed early. Goodnight, mom," she said, yawning for emphasis.

"Goodnight, Gabi," Maria said softly before giving her a light kiss on her forehead. Stepping out of the doorway, she knew her daughter was hiding something, but what it was she didn't know. However, she knew it couldn't be too serious or else she would've told her.

Lying awake, Gabriella thought about what her mother said. _Follow your heart_, that was something she was used to hearing. But, at that moment, her heart seemed just as confused as she was. Then, she remembered Lance's warning. If she continued talking to Troy, he would kill him and probably hurt her worse. She wouldn't get him involved; it would be selfish. She would have to stop all contact with him. It wouldn't hurt him; he was attractive and nice, meaning he could find another girl, one that wasn't stupid like she had been.


	4. Chapter 4

"…Okay, Gabi, you can do this," Gabriella told herself, taking one long look at herself in the restroom mirror. Conversely, her reflection was different from what it had been only a few weeks ago. Her face was wet and pale from crying, and she had new cuts and bruises doting her face from two nights ago and from only several minutes earlier when Lance had cornered her and confronted her for not telling Troy they couldn't be friends, even though she planned to do it after school.

As she wiped her face with a few damp paper towels, Gabriella's mind reviewed all the past week's events. She thought this would never happen, not to her, at least. She always believed that she was smart enough to know who to stay away from, but, now, she understood that it could happen to anyone at any time, just like rape. Everyone who was ever raped previously said, at some point, that it would never happen to them, and, as far as Gabriella knew, every girl or woman who was ever in her position has said at one point that it would never happen to them. Gabriella still didn't fully believe this was her life now. She wished it was a dream, a horrible nightmare she would soon wake up from.

As much as she didn't want to, Gabriella felt inclined to stay with Lance. She no longer liked him, but she felt he needed someone there who could help him. No matter what, she always wanted to help anyone and everyone whether they wanted her to or not.

As much as she tried to believe that was the only reason, she knew there was an underlying one she wouldn't mention out loud. The other reason she didn't want to leave him was because she felt intimidated by him. Though none of her friends or mother knew about it, Gabriella was terrified of him; she was afraid of what he would do if she did leave him. Her friends were blind to it, and they couldn't help her through it as long as they didn't know. As long as she had it her way, they would never know. She knew Lance was capable of doing far worse acts than what he did so far; she could see it in his eyes. Gabriella cared too much about her friends to let anything happen to them. She refused to let them suffer in any way over her problem. That's why she had to let Troy go. She already lost someone important to her: her father. She didn't need to lose the only other guy she ever felt completely safe with to death as well.

After cleaning up, Gabriella left the girls' restroom and slowly walked through the halls, silently bracing herself for what was to come. She soon found Troy at his locker and stopped at the end of the row. Choosing not to go any further, Gabriella waited patiently until he was finished. When he saw her, he smiled widely, the kind that would make anyone else smile back, but not her, at least not today. Soon, he walked over to her, noticing her quiet demeanor.

"Hey, Gabriella, how've you been?" he asked her, standing a foot away from her. As predicted, he saw her black eye and small cuts on her face, and, instantly, he began to worry. "What happened?"

"I'm a klutz. I got hit in the face with a kickball in gym class," she lied but Troy saw through it immediately.

"Gabriella, we're on the volleyball unit," he stated. "Plus,that doesn't explain the cuts."

"But, you're in a different class," she pointed out, although she knew he had caught her.

"Every class is doing the same thing," he told her, trying to suppress his anger. No matter who it was, he hated being lied to, especially by someone he loved. "Gabriella, I hate being lied to. I'm sick of it. Tell me what's really happening."

"Troy, please don't pressure me to answer," she pleaded. "I'm under a lot of stress right now, and I have something urgent I need to tell you."

"Fine, what?" he asked, his tone laced with bitterness and his eyes hard. This look terrified her. His soft expression was hardened with anger, just like Lance's. She felt a black pit swallow her insides.

"Lance thinks we spend too much time together and that we're too close of friends. He thinks I'm cheating on him or will cheat on him with you," she said, partially telling the truth. "He says we can't be friends anymore."

"So? Just dump him, he's not worth it if he says and thinks that," Troy told her, fearing what he predicted she would do.He just met her; he didn't want to lose her already. He never felt so desperate, like, if she left him, he would get on his knees and beg for her to stay with him.

"I-I can't, Troy," she said, tearing up. She hated herself for this, whether it was her fault or not. She loved him and it killed her inside that she was lying to him and hiding things from him. It made her feel guilty, knowing he wasted all his care and worry on her. Even though she felt she was doing this to protect him, she still felt miserable.

"No, no, Gabriella, please don't tell me…." he trailed off. The look of pain on his once angry face made her guilt a hundred times worse. He knew what she was about to say, but he didn't want to give her up, not yet, at least. It was killing him to know he may never get to talk to her again. It cut him deeply that she would care more about Lance's feelings than his. No one could possibly care more about her than him.

Gabriella sighed. She had to end this. She couldn't lead him to think there was still a chance for them; that would only hurt worse. This was a clean break, she thought. "I love him, Troy."

Troy felt his heart shatter as she spoke. He lost her, all because he was too nervous to ask her out in the first place. But, how could she love Lance? He had slept with more than half the girls in their grade startingin eight grade; why would Gabriella want a guy like that? Unless she was that kind of girl, he thought bitterly. He thought she was better than this. He thought she was someone who had her loyalties in order. He thought she would always be his friend....

"I'm sorry, Troy," she said softly. "But, I think it's time to say goodbye, before we get too close. And, just so you know, I'm quitting the musical. Besides, it's so over-rated. It's just a bunch of people making fools of themselves."

"Just like how you made a fool out of me?" he snapped. "I guess that musical is perfect for me, then."

Gabriella winced. She hadn't thought he would take it this hard, but he did and now he would make her suffer. "You're not a fool. I'm the fool."

"Whatever," he said coldly, masking the hurt with a cold front. He wouldn't look weak in front of her; he refused to let her see that she broke his heart. This caught Gabriella off guard, for he had never used this tone with her. Frankly, she didn't know he was capable of speaking to her like this."I don't care about you or anything and everyone associated with you! You're just a waste of my time! I don't know why I ever wasted my time worrying about you. You're obviously fine, minus the cold heart."

As he walked away, Troy sensed Gabriella was crying behind him. Normally, he would've ran back to her and apologized profusely, but, at that moment, he couldn't have cared less. He wanted her to hurt, just like he was hurting. He wanted her to feel his pain. He never knew what it was like to have his heart broken, but now he did and it felt much worse than he expected. He felt like a fool for falling for her. Nearly every girl in their grade and younger, some even older, were 'in love' with him, but he just had to fall for a girl who couldn't even be his friend for longer than a month.

"Te amo, Troy," Gabriella whispered softly but loud enough for him to hear through her tears. Before she set him free, she felt she needed to tell him her true feelings for him, but, at the same time, she didn't want him to know right away. She had a good feeling he would find out soon what she had said, which is what she wanted. She wanted him to know she loved him and cared about him. That was why she was doing this.

Troy stopped momentarily, taking in what Gabriella had said. Even though he lived in New Mexico, he knew very few words in Spanish and 'te amo' wasn't a phrase he was familiar with. However, he figured she had said 'I hate you'. At that moment, nonetheless, he didn't care. She wasn't interested in him, and that was all he needed to know.

When he started walking away again, she suddenly started running after him. When she caught up with him, she spoke again, "I wouldn't be doing this without having a good reason."

Troy scoffed. "You call Lance a good excuse?"

"Troy, there's more to it than that. Please, just don't be mad at me," she pleaded gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"One of my closest friends is hiding things from me and choosing her idiotic boyfriend over me. What do you expect?" he said, pushing her off of him as though she was an annoying bug, once again taking her by surprise. Never in her life had she thought Troy would shove her away like that. He didn't seem capable of ever hurting her in this way. This new realization brought on a new round of tears.

"Troy, I'm sorry! But, Lance, he threa-" Just as Gabriella was about to reveal the main reason behind her decision, Troy rudely interrupted.

"Save it. I told you already, I couldn't care less about you or him. When he breaks your heart, don't come crying to me! When he hurts and uses you and leaves you crying alone, I won't be there to comfort you! You made up your mind and you don't want me in your life so live with it, " he told her harshly. "And, I'm not sure where those bruises and cuts are coming from nor do I care anymore. Maybe you do deserve it after all."

Gabriella gasped. He was the second person to tell her that, and so maybe they were right. However, this wasn't the Troy she knew. The Troy she knew was warm and caring. This Troy was cold and heartless. This side of him scared her more than anything; she didn't know what he would do or what he _could_do. Would he snap and physically hurt her? She wasn't sure, but she figured that, in this state, he probably would.

"Look, I have to get going," he said, brushing past her. Gabriella didn't respond. She stood in the middle of the hallway wondering what she should do. The problem was, all she could think about was Troy and how much she needed him. Her heart felt empty and vacant, but, at the same time, it felt heavier than ever. She suddenly felt completely lost and damaged without him. She never knew before then just how significant he was in her life, but it was too late to turn back now. He was walking out of her life for good.

* * *

Two days passed, and Troy and Gabriella hadn't said a word to each other. Their friends knew little of the incident but decided to keep them separated until the two could stand to see each other. No one, other than Gabriella, knew the real reason behind the split; all they knew was that their 'perfect match' could never be, according to Troy and Gabriella.

"Troy, I left my keys in my office. Can you go back and get them?" Jack asked him from the main office.

"Sure, Dad," Troy answered and left, heading toward the gym. It was Wednesday afternoon, exactly forty-eight hours after Gabriella had more or less dumped him, but he didn't care about it anymore, so it seemed. He tried to get over her but he couldn't. It had only been two days, but he already missed seeing her smile, hearing her laugh, and being able to hug her when she needed one. He missed the way her soft brown eyes penetrated his soul. Thetruth was, he just missed her.

After thinking it through, he realized how idiotic he was for how he treated her. Although he was upset, he shouldn't have taken it out on her. He knew something was going on that she wasn't willing to tell him. He knew he should've said 'okay' and left it at that. If what he thought was going on really was going on, then she needed him to support her, not scream at her when she's a victim of a much larger problem.

As he walked, the silence of the vacant hallways calmed him. Usually, the hallways were over-crowded and loud, making it impossible to think straight. When he reached the outside doorway to the boys' locker room, he opened the door and walked into his father's office. Once he had retrieved the keys, he walked back out of the office, only to hear loud noises coming from the gym. Looking out the small window on the door, Troy saw what looked like Lance and a girl whom he recognized immediately to be Gabriella. Quietly opening the door, Troy listened in on the couple without being seen.

"No one gives a damn about you!" Troy gasped upon hearing this. He suspected Lance was hurting her, but he was praying that his feelings were false. However, it appeared to be true. He wanted to go and 'correct' Lance for that comment, but he stayed and listened, not wanting to miss anything that could be vital to him finding out the truth.

"I know," Gabriella replied, her tone low enough that Troy couldn't hear.

Troy could tell there was more going on than what he was aware of, and he would stop at nothing to figure it out. He lied when he said he didn't care; he cared more than she could ever imagine, and that's why it hurt him so much that she didn't want to be friends anymore. But, he still loved her no matter what she did, and he had a feeling he would always love her.

"You're just an ugly nerd. No one would want you, anyway," Lance stated harshly.

"Then why are you with me?" she questioned.

"Charity case," he answered bluntly.

"Of course," she said quietly. "I guess if someone actually did care about me, you'd threaten me to get rid of them, too."

"Like anyone would honestly care about you," Lance replied. Troy wanted so badly to knock Lance's teeth out for that statement but couldn't; if he did, he could miss something vital, he kept reminding himself. "You thought Bolton cared, but he was only using you as a charity case as well."

_'What? I love her! I never used her!' _Troy thought, angered that Lance would tell her that. But, then, he realized. She would never believe him if he told her that he loved her after how he treated her. In fact, she probably wouldn't trust him ever again, he thought miserably.

Looking down to the floor, Gabriella didn't reply. When it came to Troy, she didn't know what to think or believe anymore. She didn't want to talk about him; it hurt too much.

"See? No one cares about you," Lance repeated.

"Well, maybe someone would if you'd quit threatening my friends' lives!" she yelled but quickly regretted it.

Lance smacked her hard across the face. "Don't yell at me, you bitch!"

Troy gasped again and quickly covered his mouth. He could feel his face being drained of its natural coloring. The room seemed to spin as if he was the one who had just been slapped. He definitely felt that way. Nonetheless, he knew his suspicions were correct. Gabriella was being abused by her so-called boyfriend.. He saw it himself; that's the only proof he needed. Instead of going after Lance like he wanted to do, however, he just stayed there, frozen in place. He would just observe unless it got worse. In that case, he would knock Lance's teeth down his throat. He had to talk to Gabriella alone and get the full story. The last thing he wanted was or her to hurt worse because of something he did. However, he knew her secret now; she couldn't deny it any longer.


	5. Chapter 5

Nervously, Troy walked down the familiar path to the Montez home. Ever since he left the school, he had been secretly planning out what he would say to Gabriella. No matter what, he knew he had to keep his cool and not yell at her. After the display he witnessed earlier, he realized that she had enough of this from Lance, and he wanted to prove that he was the better man. He hadn't done a great job of that so far.

Once he reached the house, Troy rang the doorbell and waited patiently. After a few seconds, he was greeted by Maria.

"Oh, Troy, it's so nice to see you again," she greeted him, smiling warmly.

Personally, she would rather see her daughter with Troy. Judging by his personality, Maria could tell that Troy was a decent guy who would treat her daughter right, whereas Lance, she didn't know what to think of him. On top of that, Maria had a feeling that, just by the tenderness in his eyes, that he was at least somewhat like her husband, which was "perfect" because Gabriella was always her father's daughter until the day he died.

"Hi, Ms. Montez. Is Gabriella home?" he asked her politely.

"Yeah, she's upstairs. You can go on up if you want," Maria told him.

"Sure. Thanks," Troy said, immediately heading for Gabriella's room.

Knocking lightly on her door, Troy listened for a response which he was soon given, "Troy, I saw you outside. Just leave me alone!" Gabriella cried but he didn't listen and opened the door instead.

"Gabriella, I need to talk to you. It's an emergency," he told her, sitting beside her on her bed. Her back was to him, and she was holding herself, as if keeping herself from falling apart. He could also tell that she was crying.

"Troy, I told you we can't be friends," she said, fearing this meeting would get back to Lance. Of course she wanted him there. He was the only one she wanted to see. However, she had to get him out as soon as possible in case Lance dropped in unexpectedly again.

"Just listen to me. I saw you and Lance in the gym earlier," he started.

Gabriella gasped, knowing this couldn't be good. He knew now; he must've seen what happened. She felt relieved and afraid at the same time. She was relieved that he at least somewhat understood her predicament. However, she was afraid that he would betray her. Frankly, she wouldn't blame him. "Wh-what did you see?"

"I saw him yelling at you, and, then, he hit you," he answered, his voice warm and tender. This scared her even more. Wasn't it just two days ago that he was the one yelling and making her cry? He wanted to hurt her then, she realized. He wanted her to feel the pain he was experiencing at that time. What kind of person did that? "Believe me, I wanted to go after him, but I thought I should talk to you first. I don't want to make the situation worse."

Gabriella's eyes flashed angrily, remembering his words from the other day.** "**You didn't stop him because you don't care if he hurts me, you said so yourself! You're just here now to rub it in my face that you know and now tomorrow you'll tell everyone that my boyfriend, the football team captain, is abusive!"

"That's not true," he replied softly, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm here because I care about you, and I won't tell a single person unless you want me to."

"How do I know I can trust you?" she questioned, refusing to let her guard down.

"You don't," he answered plainly. "You just have to believe me. I will never do anything you don't want me to do."

Gabriella sighed. She wanted to believe him, but after what he had said, she couldn't. She had been hurt too many times already, and she didn't want to risk being let down again.

"Troy, you've already hurt me twice," she stated. "I don't want to go through that again, especially when it seems to get worse each time."

"I know, but it won't happen again, I promise," he assured her. "The first time, I was tricked, you know that. The second time I was just angry and I didn't know."

"You didn't care, either." Pulling out of his grasp, Gabriella crossed her arms over her stomach. All this time, she had wanted this. She wanted him to hold her and catch her when she fell. Now, he was doing just that but she was resisting. She had to, whether she wanted to or not.

"Gabriella, I did care. I still care about you," he told her softly, trying to pull her back but to no avail.

"Please, just leave me alone, Troy," she said harshly. She wanted him there with her, but he couldn't find out more than what he already knew. If he did, she knew the results would be disastrous. Lance would kill both of them.

"Gabriella, you need help," Troy pleaded, gently placing his hand on her cheek. "I want to help."

Gabriella found it impossible to resist his touch. His touch was soothing and comforting, unlike Lance's touch which she only felt when he hit her. If she could, she would have his hand right there, just like that, for the rest of her life.

"That feels good," Gabriella whispered, blushing as Troy chuckled.

"I'm glad," he replied, placing his other hand on her neck. "Now, will you let me help you?"

"I-I can't," she solemnly argued.

Pressing his lips gently to her forehead, Troy let her know that he understood. When he withdrew his hands, Gabriella whimpered from loss of contact which made Troy smile, for at least she loved his touch.

"Obsessed with my hands, are we, Montez?" he teased her, causing her to blush furiously.

"I can't help it that the only time a guy touches me is to hit me until now," she replied. "It's nice to feel someone touch me like that."

"How long has this been going on?" he asked her, his tone more serious.

"Not that long," she answered. "But, promise me you won't get involved."

"Sorry, Gabriella, but that's one thing I can't promise. But, I will promise you this. As long as I'm around, he won't hurt you ever again," he assured her.

"Troy, please, don't get involved in this," Gabriella begged. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I don't care about what happens to me. All I care about is your safety," he replied.

"This is my problem, not yours," she argued.

"I just want to help you. Is that so wrong?" he questioned.

Shaking her head, Gabriella knew he had won, and, in a way, she was glad. If he wanted to protect her, then she should appreciate it, although it was her fear of losing him forever that made her say no.

"Gabriella, is something else wrong?" he asked her, sensing there was more to it than he knew.

"Uh, no," she lied, feeling it was best if he didn't know. "Just, please, don't go looking for him."

"Of course I won't. I planned to only go after him when I see him hurt you again," he told her. "I hope that doesn't happen again, though. I hate seeing you hurting, and I'm sorry for ever hurting you."

"Troy, thank you," she said sincerely and kissed his cheek.

Smiling dreamily, Troy placed his hand where her lips just were, loving the softness of her lips. "Uh, it's no problem, Gabriella."

"It's getting late. I guess you should be going," she said, although she was reluctant to see him leave. "Friends again, right?"

"Of course, but one last question," he started. "The other day, you said 'te amo, Troy'. I was wondering what it meant."

Gabriella froze, for that was one question she wasn't prepared to answer. However, she couldn't tell him the truth. 'Te amo' was Spanish for 'I love you', but she couldn't tell Troy that. She wasn't ready for him to know how she felt about him.

"Um, it's Spanish for 'I'm sorry'," she lied.

"Oh, okay," Troy said, slightly disappointed and shifted on his heels, unable to tell for once that she was lying. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Gabriella."

"Yeah, bye," Gabriella replied and watched him leave. Smiling, she felt completely secure for the first time in a long time. In a way, she was glad Troy knew the truth. He wouldn't somehow use it against her or leave her after finding out. She was certain that he wasn't that kind of guy. True, he had a temper at times, but she loved him regardless, and she had a feeling that he liked her as more than a friend as well.


	6. Chapter 6

"…So, Gabriella, are you ever going to tell me what happened between you and Troy?" Taylor queried. It was the following school day and Gabriella still hadn't told anyone that she and Troy were friends again. She didn't want Lance to find out.

Biting her bottom lip, Gabriella lied, "Troy and I decided mutually that we are better off going our separate paths. Face it, he's a popular jock and I'm just a geeky math girl. We'd never work out in the end."

"In case you haven't noticed, Lance is also a popular jock," Taylor pointed out.

"I know, it's just…complicated," Gabriella stated, unable to come up with a better explanation.

"Fine." Taylor sighed. Unlike Troy, Taylor didn't have the ability to tell when Gabriella was lying.

Glancing straight down the hall, Gabriella's jaw dropped when she noticed the tall, lean, brown-haired, blue-eyed boy standing by her locker.

"Why's he at your locker, then?" Taylor questioned.

"I…I don't know," Gabriella stammered. "Um, I'll meet up with you later, k?"

"Um, ok then," Taylor said and left, confused as to what was going on.

"Troy, what are you doing here?" Gabriella asked him once she reached him.

"I had to see you. I wanted to make sure that _he_ didn't ambush you on the way to school or something," Troy explained.

Gabriella sighed in annoyance. She loved the fact that Troy cared about her but she was starting to get the feeling that he cared too much. "Look, Troy, he's going to hurt me even worse for talking to you, and so the best thing you can do right now is to ignore and avoid me during school. You can't text me and you can't call me in case he's around."

"But, Gabriella, I--"

"Troy, please. I still want us to be friends, great friends. There's more ways to communicate. Use Taylor or Chad. We both have classes separately with them. We can arrange something through them but we can't talk on school grounds or cell phones until this problem is resolved," she explained.

"Fine." Troy grumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "See you around never, then."

Gabriella let out a sigh of relief when he walked away, not noticing the pair of dark, green eyes watching her vindictively.

* * *

"So, Troy, you up for some b-ball after school?" Chad asked him later on that day.

"Sorry, I can't," Troy replied. "I have plans."

"What kind of plans?" Chad queried.

"Secret plans," Troy answered simply. "Plans that don't concern you."

"Dude, don't tell me you're secretly selling weed on a street corner again," Chad joked.

"No, it's heroine and it's in my garage. Get it straight!" Troy replied sarcastically.

"You do know I can turn you in for it," Chad told him, laughing.

"But, you won't," Troy stated confidently.

"You're lucky we've been friends for so long or else I would," Chad warned.

"Anyway, I have to go to the gym for something. I'll talk to you later," Troy told him, heading in the direction of the gym; although, that wasn't his intended destination.

"All right, see you later, man," Chad said, going in the opposite direction toward the buses. Once Chad was out of sight, Troy stopped heading toward the gym. He changed his course to the science lab, for right above it was his favorite place to be in the entire school. There was a garden on the roof, and it was the only place he could go to be completely alone. However, that day, he would not be alone.

"Ow! Stop, please!" Inside the lab, Troy heard voices and what sounded like fighting. The voice he heard first was feminine and familiar. She was being hurt once again.

Bursting through the door, he was confronted with a sight he wished he could've erased from his memory, but it would instead be forever etched in his mind. He saw Lance towering over Gabriella who was backed against the wall. The blood and tears rolling down her face were too much for him to bear. However, before he could move, Lance spotted him.

"Well, well. Look what the cat drug in," he sneered. "Come to join the party? We're just getting started."

"Leave her alone!" Troy demanded, ignoring his comment.

"She's mine, Bolton! I can do what I want with her," Lance retorted.

"She's nobody's property!" he snapped. He despised people who treated girls like objects. They were people and they deserved to be treated as such, he thought.

"That's where you're wrong," Lance stated, grabbing a nearby desk.

"I don't know how much good that will do you," Troy said, smirking.

"Plenty," Lance said. With that, he shoved the desk into Gabriella who shrieked in pain.

"Gabriella!" Troy cried, rushing over to her. However, Lance tackled him to the ground before he could reach her.

"You are too easy, Bolton," he jeered.

Troy attempted to push Lance off of him, but he was too strong. Finally, his knee came into contact with Lance's groin, causing him to let him go. Quickly, Troy got to his feet and pressed his foot firmly against his throat.

"Get out and leave her alone or else I'll kill you!" he threatened venomously. Although he couldn't see it, Gabriella was afraid, but not just of Lance. She never thought that Troy could get like this. True, she had only known him for little over a month, but she always viewed him as being gentle, never getting physical. Then again, she never expected him to be verbally abusive, either.

Lance attempted to push Troy's foot off, but the lack of oxygen was overwhelming him. Troy pressed down harder and used his other foot to crush his hand. Seething, Lance gave in to Troy's demands.

"Fine, Bolton," Lance stated, hating that he had given up to his enemy. Although, he knew that it was far from over. He would leave them alone for the moment, giving them a false sense of security.

Reluctantly, Troy got off of him but didn't let his guard down for a second as Lance stood and walked out of the room. Once he was gone, Troy walked to the door and locked it. Gabriella had to admit that she was slightly terrified watching him lock the door. She was being locked in with a guy who almost killed someone; of course she was afraid even though he was her friend.

Once at Gabriella's side, Troy pushed the desk away from her and crouched down beside her. Gently, he placed his hand on her cheek, but she flinched and pulled back.

"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly. "How badly are you hurt?"

"It's not that bad," she answered, refusing to look at him. She found it strange how he could go from being angry and ready-to-kill one minute but be kind and gentle the next. She never thought that was possible for anyone.

"Come on, I'll take you home," he offered, taking her hand in his.

"But, what if he's out there?" she asked worriedly.

"Don't worry. If he is, I'll protect you, I promise," he assured her, helping her to her feet. However, she wouldn't stand.

"Gabriella, what's wrong?" Troy asked, worried.

"It's just my back," she answered, feeling a sense of hopelessness.

"I'll look at it at your house," Troy replied. "If you don't mind. For now, I'll carry you."

"A-are you sure?" she asked, slightly stunned by his offer.

"Of course. You're hurt, and so I want you to take it easy," he told her.

"So, you're going to carry me all the way to my house?" she questioned.

"Yeah, why?" he responded as if it was the simplest thing. "Unless you weigh four hundred pounds or more, which, as thin as you are, I seriously doubt, I can carry you."

"Are you sure?" she questioned, still uncertain.

"Positive."


	7. Chapter 7

When Troy and Gabriella arrived at her home, Troy instructed her to sit and relax as he made his way to the freezer to grab an ice pack for her bruised torso. He did as he said he would in carrying her home. He found it pleasurable, not a burden as she thought it would be for him. He enjoyed touching her and holding her in his arms.

"Here, just hold this to your stomach, it should help," he suggested, handing her the ice pack, which he wrapped a kitchen towel around so it wasn't too cold for her skin.

"Thanks, Troy," she said, placing the ice pack under her shirt.

"No problem," he replied, smiling in the way that always made Gabriella want to melt.

"Thanks for everything you did today," she continued, her deep brown eyes full of sincerity. "I don't know what he would've done to me if you hadn't have shown up."

"Hey, that's what friends are for, right?" he replied with a wink, causing her stomach to fill with butterflies.

"Um, do you want to watch TV?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Nah, unless you want to. I'd rather just sit here with you," he answered, blushing when he realized what he had said, but he smiled slightly upon noticing her blushing as well.

The pair sat in an awkward silence for what seemed like an eternity but was only a few minutes when Gabriella began to dig inside her book bag.

"So, now you're going to do homework with me here? Do I bore you that much?" he questioned in mock offense.

Laughing, Gabriella replied, "Maybe…."

"Oh, now that hurts," he stated, placing his hand over his 'broken' heart.

This made her laugh harder. "I'm sorry, Troy," she said once she was through laughing at his drama Queen-like mood.

"Say it like you mean it," he ordered.

She rolled her eyes. "You are such a drama Queen."

Troy gasped in mock horror. "Now that's cruel!"

"Well, you are," she replied shamelessly.

"I'm hurt, Gabriella." He crossed his arms and huffed, looking to the opposite side.

Giggling, she wrapped her arms around Troy's torso. "I'm sorry, Troy."

"So am I," he replied, looking back at her with a playful smirk.

"For what?" she asked, confused.

"For what I'm about to do," he said, snaking his arms around her waist so she couldn't get away.

Before Gabriella could say anything, he began tickling her, sending her into a fit of giggles. She loved the feel of his fingers, and she silently wished that his hand would somehow make contact with her bare stomach..._No! _She mentally scolded herself for thinking such things. She was a good girl, always had been. It wasn't until she met Troy that these long-buried desires emerged. Suddenly, she winced from the sharp pain shooting through her stomach. She cried out in agony, forcing him to stop immediately.

"Gabi, are you okay?" he asked her, putting the ice pack back under her shirt since it had fallen out, his hand intentionally brushing against her bare stomach in the process. Like Gabriella, he too was having difficulties in controlling his desires.

Gabriella nodded, gently placing her hand over the bruise. "I'm fine, it just hurts a little."

"I'm sorry," he told her apologetically, remorse filling his eyes.

"Don't worry," she assured him. "It's fine."

"I shouldn't have been tickling you," he argued.

Gabriella wanted to say that she loved him tickling her, but, instead, she said, "it's okay. It's not like you intentionally hurt me."

"I guess, but--" Troy was cut off by Gabriella who pressed her lips to his in a gentle, reassuring kiss. He was too shocked to respond to the kiss, and, as soon as she realized what she had done, she pulled back, much to his dismay.

Wide-eyed, she began to panic, "Oh God, oh God, I can't believe I did that!"

"Gabriella, don-"

"Troy, please, just forget that! It never happened, got it?" she stated. "I was so stupid! I was caught up in the moment!"

Troy sighed. "Fine," he reluctantly agreed. Of course he didn't want to forget the kiss. Even though he was the guy that every girl wanted, he never had his first kiss until just moments before. He was waiting for the right girl to come along and that's when he planned to have his first kiss. Most guys he knew would kiss more girls than he could count before finding the right girl, but he didn't want that. He just wanted to wait for the right one to come into his life and that girl finally came, even though she thought the kiss was a mistake and apparently didn't have feeling for him like he did for her.

Sinking back on the couch, Gabriella sighed. She felt stupid for ever believing that he liked her the way she liked him. She felt even dumber for kissing him, but she figured that she could say she knew what it was like to kiss Troy Bolton, even though she would never know what it felt like to feel Troy Bolton kiss her back.

"You okay?" he asked her, sensing her distress.

"Yeah, why?" she queried.

"Just making sure," he said. "You're more quiet than usual."

'_Hello, I just kissed my best friend! What do you expect me to do, talk about the weather at a time like this?' _she thought bitterly. "Troy, I'm fine. Everything is great," she lied. "Anyway, I'd hate to cut this short, but I have a ton of stuff to do before my mom gets home and I'm sure your parents are worried about where you are, so you should probably go."

"Gabriella, are you sure? I mean, what if-"

"Troy, I'll be fine. I'm seventeen; I think I know how to take care of myself," she interrupted. "I don't mean to shut you out like this but I'd rather be alone right now."

"Um, okay then. I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow," he said, feeling slightly awkward as he left.

"Yeah, bye, Troy." Once he was gone, Gabriella breathed a sigh of relief, glad to save them from anymore awkward moments. The tears she had been holding back were finally released as she buried her head in her hands. She was a fool for believing Troy would ever like her the way she liked him. Then again, he was the one who charmed his way into her heart and made her feel safe. As much as she hated to admit it, he seemed like a player. He played with her emotions as if it were all a game, only to leave her heartbroken when she started to reveal her feelings for him. But, maybe it was unintentional. She wanted to believe that maybe it was unintentional and that she was getting the signs wrong.

Hastily grabbing her cell phone, Gabriella dialed a few numbers and anxiously awaited an answer.

"Hey, Gabriella. What's up?"

"Taylor, I need your help!" Gabriella cried. "I-I accidentally kissed him!"

"Whoa, who did you kiss?" Taylor asked, intrigued.

"Troy!" Gabriella yelled. "But, he didn't kiss me back! I knew he didn't like me like that! I was so stupid!"

"You kissed him?!" Taylor was astonished. She knew Gabriella liked Troy but she never thought Gabriella would try to make a move on him when they weren't together, especially not while dating someone else. Besides, she thought Troy and Gabriella were at odds.

"Yes, but it was an accident!" Gabriella defended.

"But, the disagreement...the separation...what have you been hiding from me?"

"Tay, I don't want to talk about this right now. I'll fill you in tomorrow, I promise. I just really need your help."

"Fine," Taylor gave in. "Here's what you'll do, or, shall I say, what Chad will do. Troy tells Chad almost everything. Chad can get Troy to admit his feelings for you, in front of you, whether he knows you're there or not."

"B-but how?" Gabriella asked.

"Trust me, we'll come up with something," Taylor assured her friend.

"But, what if he really doesn't like me like that?" Gabriella questioned.

"Gabi, of course he does or else he wouldn't act the way he does around you. Trust me, I know these things."

Gabriella sighed. "I hope you're right."


	8. Chapter 8

The next day, Gabriella walked into school, for once wishing she didn't have to be there. Not only did she not want to face Lance, but she also didn't want to face Troy. After the kiss, she feared how he would act toward her. Would he still treat her the same way? Would it be awkward? Would he break off their friendship? She couldn't answer these but feared what would come of it.

"Hey, Gabi." Gabriella looked up to see Troy now walking beside her. '_That answers that,' _she thought.

"Oh, hey, Troy," she greeted him, forcing a smile.

"Doing better than yesterday?" he asked her, remembering how stressed she seemed after she accidentally kissed him.

"Uh, yeah, I suppose," she lied.

"Listen, are you still upset about what happened?" he questioned, his voice calm and caring.

"No, Troy, of course not," she lied again. "It's already forgotten."

"You could've fooled me," he stated. "If it makes you feel any better, I--"

"Yo, Troy, Coach wants to see you." Chad interrupted.

"Thanks, Chad," Troy replied sarcastically. '_He has such great timing,'_ he thought bitterly. "I'll see you later, Gabriella."

Gabriella sighed, wishing he didn't have to leave. She wished he would've at least finished what he was about to say. Would he have said he liked her, too? Or, would he have at least said that he liked the kiss? '_Probably not,'_ she thought. '_No guy would ever like me.'_

* * *

"Hey, Gabriella, we have a plan regarding you-know-who," Taylor greeted her during decathlon practice later that day.

"What's the plan?" she asked curiously, momentarily stopping what she was doing to listen.

"Chad is on it right now. When you're done, come with me," Taylor instructed. "Guys, we'll be back in ten minutes tops, this is really important."

The others nodded and went back to work as Gabriella quickly finished what she was working on. "Okay, I'm ready," she said a few seconds later.

Once they were in the hallway, Taylor gave Gabriella the rest of her instructions, "In order for this to work, you have stay completely silent. If Troy knows you're there, it ruins everything."

Gabriella nodded and followed Taylor to the gym. Once Troy and Chad were in hearing distance, they stopped and listened.

"…Why do you keep asking me this?" Troy questioned. He didn't understand why Chad was suddenly so interested in his love life. He had a feeling something was going on, but what it was he wasn't sure.

"Dude, I'm your best friend! I'm supposed to know these things!" Chad defended.

"Chad, we're just friends! I don't love her!" Troy denied, feeling a pang of guilt in the bottom of his stomach. Of course he loved her, but Chad didn't need to know that, he thought.

Gabriella's heart shattered into a million pieces. She felt Taylor grab her hand to keep her from running away, but she immediately pulled out of her grasp and started running.

Before another word could be said, the sound of sobbing filled the air. Turning around, Troy watched a heart-broken brunette running away.

"Smooth, Bolton!" Taylor yelled, coming closer to them.

"I didn't know she was there!" Troy argued, although he knew this was his fault. His heart broke as he remembered the sound of her sobbing. Every time he saw her cry, his heart broke a little more each time.

"That doesn't matter! Now you gotta find her before Lance does!" Taylor cried. She didn't know about the abuse, but she knew Troy would regret it if Gabriella left with him. However, before she could finish, Troy was already running after Gabriella.

* * *

Running in the direction of the back of the school, Troy ignored the teachers hollering at him not to run. He didn't care if they gave him a million detentions; he had to get to Gabriella. Seeing her run away like that boosted his confidence that maybe she liked him the way he liked her, maybe even loved.

Shrugging away these thoughts, he hastily pushed the door open and found Gabriella sitting against a nearby tree.

"Hey," he greeted nervously. Upon hearing his voice, she quickly wiped the tears from his face and stood to face him.

"Troy, please go. I'll be okay," she lied, knowing that she'd be anything but okay. He didn't feel anything for her. She was stupid for believing Taylor when she said that he liked her.

"I'm not leaving," he replied, being stubborn. Carefully, he rested his hands on the small of her back and embraced her. "I know something besides Matthews is bothering you, and it has to do with me. I'm really sorry about what I said. I never should've said that because it's not true."

"Troy, you don't have to lie to make me feel better," she stated.

"I'm not lying, I swear!" he argued. "Gabriella, the truth is, I'm in love with you. No, scratch that, I'm madly in love with you! When you kissed me, it was the most amazing sensation I've ever felt!"

"Troy, stop this! You don't know what you're--" Troy cut her off by pressing his lips gently to hers. Gabriella felt her knees buckle from beneath her, but he held her upright. The kiss was pure bliss for both of them. It was expected, not unplanned as the first. It was absolutely amazing, like a movie-scene kiss.

When he pulled away, he stared deeply into her brown eyes, letting her know in silence that it was true. "Do you believe me now?" he asked quietly, resting his forehead against hers. To him, she appeared to be in a dazed state, but she managed to pull it together for a moment.

Gabriella nodded and was about to say something when someone else came into view.

"Get away from my girl, Bolton!" Gabriella shivered in fear as Lance came closer. Sensing her fear, Troy stood protectively in front of her.

"Stay calm, I'll protect you," Troy whispered before turning to Lance, his anger rising as he spoke, "She's not your girl anymore!"

"Quit defending her!" Lance hollered.

"Both of you, stop, please! Lance, just leave Troy and I alone!" she cried, her perfect moment in ruins.

"Not until I get what I want." Lance pulled something from his back pocket. "And, if I can't have you, I'll get what's stopping me."

Before Gabriella knew what was going on, a shot rang out and Troy's body crashed into hers, sending both of them to the ground. Gabriella cried upon seeing Troy's limp, vulnerable body, knowing it was all her fault. His eyes were open but glazed over, and he looked at her as if she was his last hope of survival, something she definitely wasn't accustomed to.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, Troy!" she cried, cradling him in her arms. Her own tears dripped onto his face, but they weren't enough to keep him awake. "Troy, stay awake! Stay with me!"

Troy lie motionless, gasping for air. He heard a voice, angelic-like, begging him to stay awake. However, he could feel himself slipping further and further, and the voice sounding further and further away.

Gabriella, who had forgotten Lance's presence, shrieked when he grabbed her by the arm and forced upwards. "No! Don't, please!" she cried, not wanting to leave Troy. He would die, and it was all her fault.

Lance smirked. "Tell me you love me."

"Wh-what?"

"I said, tell me you love me. If you don't, I'll shoot him again," Lance stated.

Gabriella gulped. She didn't want to tell Lance that she loved him. How could she love him after what he just did? However, she did love Troy. She didn't want to be his cause of death. "I-I love you." Gabriella's tears spilled out again. She loved Troy, not him, and he knew that. Lance was only doing it to hurt them.

Lance's smirk grew. "And you don't love him."

Looking at Troy, Gabriella's heart fell when she noticed he had fully slipped into unconsciousness; although, in the corner of his eye, it appeared as though there was a tear about to fall.

"I-I don't love Troy," she said, barely managing to fight back tears. She felt wrong for lying, especially about her loved one who was facing death. But, then, she remembered, he had done it to her earlier before setting the record straight but he wasn't faced with death.

Putting his gun in view, Lance was about to pull the trigger again.

"You said you wouldn't!" Gabriella cried.

"I'm not a man of my word," he stated. Before he pulled it, Gabriella heard the door open, and before Lance could do anything, he was laid out on the ground.


	9. Chapter 9

Gabriella numbly watched as Chad beat down on Lance. She felt as though she was in a trance. The fighting going on around her, the screaming and yelling, none of it seemed to click in her mind. All that was on her mind was the boy on the ground unconscious.

"The cops and ambulance are on their way! You're going with one or the other!" Chad threatened, snapping Gabriella from her thoughts. "Gabriella, get Troy if you can and get out of here!"

Gabriella nodded and ran to Troy's side. Before moving him, she removed her shirt, knowing she had a tank-top on underneath, and wrapped it securely around the wound to slow the bleeding. He was too heavy for her to pull up, leaving her with the only option of dragging him.

"Not so fast!" Lance yelled and aimed his gun at Gabriella's head. Before he could shoot, though, the four were suddenly surrounded by school security.

"Hands in the air! Drop the gun!" one yelled, each gripping tightly to their own gun in case.

Groaning, Lance did as he was told, knowing better than to mess with anyone affiliated with police. Sighing in relief, Gabriella crouched down beside Troy and held him tightly, his head resting securely against her chest. Running her fingers through his hair, tears filled her eyes as she whispered, "Everything will be all right. I love you, Troy."

* * *

For the next hour, Gabriella was in a daze. Lance was taken into police custody and she had ridden with Troy in the ambulance. They told her that Troy had a thirty-five percent chance of dying, but Gabriella had a terrible feeling that she would lose him regardless. It was her fault that he got shot. She knew he would blame her and dump her if he lived. Quite frankly, she wouldn't blame him. She knew she would only bring baggage into their relationship, which most guys wouldn't tolerate.

Brushing this aside, Gabriella thought about what Troy said to her and done for her before being shot. He told her that he loved her and kissed her. When he held her, she felt as though she was in heaven. She couldn't live with knowing she would never feel his touch or his kiss again, after only experiencing them a few times. Other than his tendency of saying the wrong thing when under pressure, she felt that she had the perfect guy and would have the perfect relationship if he lived.

Suddenly, Gabriella felt a hand on her shoulder. Surprised, she turned to see Chad, the only one besides Troy's parents to arrive at the hospital. "Worried?"

Gabriella hesitantly nodded. Would he resent her for being the cause of the incident?

"Don't be," he told her. "I've known Troy for much longer than you have, and so I know what I'm talking about when I say he'll pull through."

Gabriella sighed. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have gotten him involved in this. Then, he would've never gotten hurt."

"That's where you're wrong," he argued. "Troy was devastated when you first told him that you guys could no longer be friends. I knew he would've been even more crushed if something like this happened to you and you never told him what was happening. He cares about you. I've never seen him so obsessed with a girl until you came along."

"So...you really think he'll pull through?" she asked, feeling slightly better.

"Trust me, I know he will," he assured her confidently. Looking in the surgery ward in which Troy had been rushed into, he saw a doctor come out. Motioning for Gabriella to go with him, Chad led her to the Bolton's to hear the news.

Looking at Troy's mother, Gabriella could instantly tell she was upset. Feeling Coach Bolton staring at her, she bit her bottom lip, feeling uneasy. If Troy died, she knew she would be the reason and they would never forgive her.

"I'm sorry," she told them hoarsely. "If it wasn't for me, he'd be fine and safe at home."

"Oh, honey." Mrs. Bolton gently placed her hand on her shoulder. "None of this is your fault. We definitely don't blame you."

"Yeah, I told you, Gabriella. No one blames you," Chad assured her.

Before another word could be said, the doctor approached the four, his expression grim.

"How is he?" Chad asked him anxiously.

"The bullet was successfully removed, but..."

"But what?" Jack asked, fearing the answer.

"He slipped into a coma during surgery," he finished.

Gabriella felt as though she had just been punched in the stomach. Her hero was in a coma. He wouldn't make it.

"He'll make it, though, right?" Mrs. Bolton asked, fearing the worst.

"I'm sorry, but we aren't certain at this time," the doctor replied. "We're putting him in ICU. You can go in but only one person at a time."

Chad and the Boltons nodded, but Gabriella remained silent. When the doctor and the Boltons went aside to talk in private, Gabriella slunk down in a chair and started crying.

"Gabriella, calm down," Chad started, taking her hand in his. "Troy is going to be fine. He's just unconscious; it's not the end of the world."

"B-but, if he stays in one for too long, he could suffer brain damage or worse!" she cried. "It'll be all my fault!"

"Quit blaming yourself! If you keep it up, everyone will start thinking it was you who pulled the trigger!" Chad yelled, getting aggravated. "If Troy were here right now, he would agree! If you're afraid he'll blame you for any of this mess then you're wrong. He knows you did nothing wrong and these things happen. We just got to believe that he'll make it."

"Chad! Gabriella! I'm here! What happened?"

Chad looked up to see his girlfriend rushing over to them. Taking her in his arms, Chad whispered low enough Gabriella couldn't hear, "Lance shot Troy. Right now, he's in a coma, but I need you to take Gabriella aside in private to help her, because I'm no good at this."

Nodding, Taylor took Gabriella by the hand and led her to an almost empty room within the waiting room. As soon as they were alone, Gabriella suddenly broke down into sobs. Pulling her into a comforting embrace, Taylor assured her that everything would be all right and that Troy would be fine.

"H-he won't be! An-and, I never got to tell him I loved him! He'll die and never know that I love him!" she choked.

"Gabi, Troy isn't going to die!" Taylor assured her. "If you keep saying he will, then he will! Why? Because the one who needs to have the most faith in him has none."

Wiping her eyes, Gabriella said nothing. She had never thought of that. Troy loved her. Therefore, she was the one he needed the most encouragement from.

"Has he told you he loves you?" Gabriella nodded. "Then you have his heart, meaning it's yours to do whatever with. If you want to kill it, you can. If you want to bring him out of this, then, with enough inner strength and courage, you can. But, right now, you're killing him, Gabriella."

Gabriella nodded somberly. "I'll try to have faith, but I'm just scared it won't work and he will die. But, if he lives and say we get together, will he resent me someday for this?"

"Based on Troy's personality, I doubt he will," Taylor answered. "He seems like a nice guy who'll love you a lot and will never hold any of this against you."

Gabriella nodded, feeling somewhat better. However, before either one could say anymore, another voice was heard. "Gabi! There you are!"

Gabriella turned to see her mother coming their way. Standing up, Gabriella hugged Maria tightly as though she would disappear if she let go. "Mom, Troy's in ICU! He was shot and now he's in a coma!"

"I know, dear, I talked to his parents before finding you," she said calmly, rubbing the back of her daughter's head.

"Do they hate me?" she asked fearfully.

"No, Gabi, they don't. All they said about you was how much their son adores you and that you shouldn't blame yourself because it was Troy's choice to protect you," she assured her.

"So, no one blames me?" Gabriella asked, a wave of relief washing over her.

"Only one person is blaming you and that's you," Maria answered.

"Gabriella." Looking up, she saw Chad standing nearby. "If you're ready, you can go back and see Troy now."

Gabriella nodded and followed Chad to Troy's room. Once there, Gabriella shivered nervously as she looked inside. Giving her an encouraging nudge inside, Chad could sense this wouldn't go well.

Stepping inside, Gabriella's eyes filled with tears upon seeing her helpless hero, confined to a bed, and hooked up to several IVs and tubes. He was unconscious.

Suddenly, she ran out, unable to bare seeing him that way. He was her hero, and she didn't want her last memory of him to be this.However, before she could get far, she felt someone grab her by the hand to stop her. Turning, she found it was Taylor.

"I'm not letting you run out on him," she stated. "You'll hate yourself forever if you do."

"I'm scared!" Gabriella admitted, tears streaming down her face once again. "I don't want my last memory of him to be of him, lifeless, confined to a bed!"

"I don't care. You have to get over it. Troy never left you when the going got tough, and so what gives you the right to do it to him?" Taylor questioned. "You have to go in and talk to him. Imagine you're just in his room and he's asleep, because that's basically all he is right now is asleep."

Biting her bottom lip, Gabriella spoke quietly, "I'm not strong enough, nor is my imagination that great."

"Gabriella, you have to be strong enough for both you and him. Everyone knows you're capable of doing that," Taylor assured her. **"**If at any time you need to leave to regroup, you can, but if you run again, you're going right back in there."

Gabriella nodded and nervously walked back inside. Walking gingerly to Troy's limp body, she took a deep breath and spoke, "I'm so sorry, Troy, for everything. I shouldn't have got you in this, then you'd be okay. And, I'm sorry for running out a few minutes ago. I was just scared, but I promise I won't do it again, now nor ever again. From n ow on, I'll be right here for you, always. We're both in this together."

Carefully, Gabriella placed her hand on his heart to feel for a heartbeat. Upon feeling its weak but steady rhythm, she sighed, partially relieved. Maybe they were right. Maybe he would pull through, she thought.

"I don't know if you can hear me or not but if you can, you better stop playing thehero all the time, because losing you would be unimaginable, you hear? I need you to pull through." Gently, she brushed a few strands of hair from his eyes and kissed his cheek. "You have to wake up, because I never got to tell you that I love you, and thank you for everything you've done for me."

Taking his hand in his, Gabriella placed it against her heart for reassurance, rubbing his hand with her thumb in the process. "But, Troy, I know you can do this. I know you'll be able to pull through. I didn't have faith at first, I'mashamed to admit, but now I know that you will, because I have a feeling that your purpose in life hasn't been fulfilled."

Suddenly, Gabriella felt Troy grip tightly to her hand. It only lasted a second, but that was enough for her to know he would be fine.

Kissing his cheek again, she spoke quietly, "Just a little more, Wildcat. You can do it."

Suddenly, a warm arm wrapped around her shoulders but Gabriella didn't look up. She kept Troy's hand locked securely in hers. "He squeezed my hand, Mom."

Maria smiled. "That's a good sign."

"I thought only one person was allowed at a time," Gabriella told her, confused.

"I know. I was hoping that you would give me a moment with him," Maria pressed. "Then he's yours for the rest of the evening."

Reluctantly, Gabriella nodded and turned her attention back to Troy. Gently, she kissed his forehead, feeling like he was a child instead of her potential boyfriend. "I'm going to go for a few minutes, Troy, but my mom will keep you company. I'll be back soon. I promise."

Smiling, Maria watched as her daughter left the room. There was something different about her tonight. She walked with more pride and confidence, and she seemed happier, given the circumstances. She had a feeling that Troy had something to do with this.

"Hello again, Troy," she started. "It's just me, Maria. Like Gabi said, don't worry, she'll be back. I just have somethings I need to tell you. I guess I should start by saying thank you for taking care of my daughter. I told Gabriella that you are good for her and I see I was correct. She really adores you, I can tell. And, based on what your parents told me, you really adore her, too, is that correct?" Of course, Maria didn't get any response, not that she was expecting one. However, she could sense Troy was listening, and so she continued, "It's surprising, but, at the same time, not really. Troy, she loved my husband dearly, her father. After he died, she more less shut herself off from the world and didn't really open up to anyone, not even me. But, when you came into the picture, the rambunctious little girl came back to me. I don't know what you did, but now I have my daughter back and I thank you for that as well. But, please, you have to pull through this. I think she would take it worse than when he died. She blames herself for this, and so it could lead her to doing something...regrettable." Maria sighed, noticing a slight crease emerge on Troy's forehead. It was the first reaction he had to her words, but his face was soon smooth again. "I trust you with my daughter's life. I don't trust just anyone with that responsibility, but I know that, when I'm gone, which could be next month or fifty years from now, she'll need someone. I know you'll take care of her."

From the doorway, Gabriella listened to her mother in silent shock. It sounded as though she knew she would die soon, as though she had it planned out...She shook the thought from her mind. Maria was only thirty-nine; she wasn't going to die. And, she loved her life minus the fact that her husband wasn't by her side physically. Then again, she heard that when a person died, their mate follows not long after....


	10. Chapter 10

After Troy squeezed her hand, Gabriella reported it to his doctor as well as everyone else. By the end of the night, everyone else had gone back to see him, but he didn't make any progress. However, when Gabriella went back in to tell him goodnight, she held his hand and once again felt him grip hers.

For the following three days, she stayed with Troy everyday after school until the end of visiting hours. Even though nothing had happened since the first night, Gabriella's confidence continued to grow. She never felt more connected to him than she had within the last few days. He may not have been there to talk to her or kiss and touch her, but being able to be there for him was satisfying enough for her.

On the fourth day, Gabriella was unable to visit with Troy directly after school, much to her disappointment. Instead, she and Maria had to meet at the police station after school. Because she was involved in the shooting, police had requested her to come in for questioning. Although she didn't want to, she knew in the long run it would be best, especially for Troy's sake.

As they walked inside the police station, Gabriella gripped tightly to her mother's hand, nervous about meeting the detective.

"Right this way." A police officer led them down the hall to an interrogation room, where they were directed to sit at the table in the middle of the room, across from a female detective.

"Gabriella Montez, correct?" Gabriella nodded. "Hi, I'm detective Allison Perez. I'm just going to ask you some questions."

Gabriella nodded as she started. "You and Mr. Matthews were dating, correct?" She nodded. "For how long?"

"Around three weeks," she answered.

"Did anything abnormal happen in that time?" the detective asked.

"H-he started getting really mad at me, especially when he'd see me talking to Troy. It led to him starting to hit me and it got worse each day," she recalled. "And, one night, he came to my house, drunk, and I was alone. He tried to get me in bed with him and he hurt me badly in the process, but my mom got home before he could rape me."

Allison nodded, scribbling down notes on a piece of paper. "This is the same Troy he shot, correct?" Gabriella nodded, wishing she wouldn't bring Troy into subject. "How did he find out, or did he know?"

"He knew because he saw him hurt me once," she answered.

Allison nodded again. "So before this, was he involved?"

Gabriella nodded. "He saved me from him twice. When he was shot, that was the second time he had saved me."

"What exactly happened that led to the shooting?" she questioned.

A slight blush appeared on Gabriella's cheeks as she spoke, "Well, Troy was holding me and telling me that he loves me after he had just kissed me, and, then, Lance came and told him to get away from me but Troy got in front of me and so he shot him."

"So, why did you never tell police about what was going on?" Allison asked. "Did he threaten you?"

Gabriella nodded. "He told me that if anyone told, he'd come back after me."

The detective nodded. "I see."

* * *

The interrogation continued for what seemed like hours to Gabriella. It seemed as though the questions were starting to sound alike-what happened after the shooting, why did Troy never tell, did her mother know, etc. When Gabriella was finally done, she almost ran out of the station. Maria laughed at her daughter as she ran towards the car.

"In a hurry?" she teased.

"Yes! I need to see Troy!" Gabriella answered.

"What makes you think that's where we're going?" Gabriella glared at her mother as she laughed. "I'm kidding! Of course we're going to see him. I'm not going to deprive my daughter of seeing the young man who saved her life."

"So, you approve of me possibly dating him?" Gabriella queried.

"Of course I do," she answered. "He saved your life, he's a good person. And, it's obvious that he really cares about you."

Gabriella sighed. She wanted to believe her, but then the memory of his hurtful words from that fateful afternoon flooded her mind. "Yeah, but what if it's too good to be true? I mean, sometimes he just seems too charming for his own good."

"Oh, don't worry about that. It's not like he's trying to charm other girls, right?" Maria pointed out.

"Yeah..." she agreed. "So, do you think he'll make it?"

"Of course he will," she answered confidently

"But, you know the saying. Only the good die young," Gabriella reminded her.

"Don't believe that. Sure he's a good person but not all good people are going to die young," Maria stated.

"But he might," Gabriella quipped.

Maria sighed, knowing something her daughter didn't know. "Trust me, he's fine. Just wait till we get there."

"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes.

* * *

Chad wondered through the hospital halls until he found Troy's room. According to a nurse, he had been moved into a regular room, meaning he was making progress at least. When he arrived there, however, he got a surprise.

"Tr-Troy?" Chad was in shock. There was his best friend, sitting up, wide awake, and only hooked to one IV.

"Ch-Chad?" Troy mocked, grinning from ear to ear.

"When did you...how...?" Chad stuttered.

"Last night," he answered. "My parents came in to see me earlier, they called everyone's parents but I told them not to relay the message to you or Gabriella because I wanted it to be a surprise, and I have a little scheme planned for a certain brunette."

Chad chuckled. "Dude, don't freak her out. She's scared enough!"

"Don't worry, it's just for fun. I'm not going to hurt her, of course I won't," he replied. "I just thought it'd be funny if I hid before she came then let her get worried then I'll come out and everything will be fine."

"For your sake I hope so," Chad replied. "So, what happened when you woke up?"

"I don't know. I heard Gabriella's voice last, and I felt her rubbing my arm, so I guess I just wanted more of her, but, when I woke up, everyone was already gone," he answered.

Chad laughed. "Dude, you got it bad."

"I know," he replied. "Anyway, when will she be here? Doesn't she normally come with you?"

"Oh yeah, she'll be here soon. She's at the police station," Chad answered.

Troy's jaw dropped. "What? Why?"

"They arrested Lance and they needed her for interrogation," Chad answered. "But, she should be here soon."

Troy nodded. "So, she's okay, then? He didn't do anything to her, right?"

"She's fine. She just misses you, like the rest of us," he assured his friend. "But, if you still want to scare her then I'll keep a watch out for her then come back when I see her since she doesn't have your new room number yet."

Troy nodded again. "All right. Hopefully we don't scare her too badly."

"Let's hope she has a good sense of humor," Chad stated, walking out of the room.

* * *

"...So, mom, why did they put him in another room?" Gabriella queried.

"I don't know, that's just what I was told," she answered, holding in the real reason why he was moved.

"Does it mean he's getting better?" Gabriella asked.

"I suppose," Maria replied. "I think he's on the third floor. I need to use the restroom, will you be okay going up alone and asking for his room number?"

"Yeah," she answered. "I'll see you in a few, then."

After separating from her mother and going to third floor via elevator, Gabriella quickly found a nurse and was directed to Troy's room. Once in his room, however, she found it to be empty.


	11. Chapter 11

"Tr-Troy?" Gabriella stuttered, tears filling her eyes. "Oh no..no...he can't be..."

Thinking the worst, she slid back against the wall and buried her head in her knees, allowing the tears to flow down her cheeks. She knew she was probably overreacting, but she couldn't help it. She was worried sick about him.

The bathroom door opened, but, before she could look up to see, a pair of soft hands planted themselves on her hips. "Looking for someone?"

Looking up, Gabriella squealed and hugged him tightly. "Troy!"

Chuckling, Troy returned her embrace. "I missed you, too."

"Don't scare me like that again," she warned, burying her head into his shoulder.

"I knew you were coming so I hid," he whispered, grinning.

Gabriella pulled back, glaring at him. He just woke up from a coma yet he was pulling pranks on her? She was so worried; how could he do that to her? "So you pulled a prank on me?"

"Gabriella, don't take it so seriously," he said, gently rubbing her arms.

"Troy Bolton, I don't believe you! You don't know how terrified I've been all week!" she cried. "I thought you were better than that!"

Troy sighed, realizing that maybe he was wrong for tricking her like that, harmless or not. "Gabi, I'm sorry. I know how scared you've been this whole time. I know you were worried, I just thought it'd be a harmless joke." Sliding his arms around her petite frame, he carefully pulled her up and into his arms, rubbing her back soothingly.

Gabriella sighed and nodded, giving in to his touch. "So, when did you get out of the coma?"

"Last night, after you left," he answered.

"How did you know I was--"

"I could hear and feel you," he explained. "I heard everything you said to me the last few days."

Gabriella blushed slightly, remembering some of the things she said and did while he was in the coma. "So...you heard me, every time I said 'I love you', and you felt it every time I kissed your cheek or rubbed your abdomen and arms?"

Grinning, he nodded. "Does this mean I'll get treated like this every night when I sleep?"

Gabriella giggled. "Sure, I'll just sneak in your bedroom window every night. Your parents will love that, I'm sure."

"What? All I want is a little massage and some kisses! Is that so wrong?" he asked, being overly dramatic.

"Sit on the bed and maybe I'll give it to you," she teased.

"Hm, stay with me tonight and I'll take you up on the offer," he told her and kissed her forehead.

"I might think about it," she replied.

"Oh, hey, you can sit down," he said, sitting back on the hospital bed, hesitantly followed by Gabriella.

"So..." she started after a few seconds of silence. Instead of speaking, however, Troy gently brushed her hair to the side and placed light kisses along the back of her neck. Gabriella tensed and shook her head, hot tears filling her eyes.

"Gabi, what's wrong?" he asked, worried. He never meant to upset her; he just wanted to test his limits. He didn't want to go any further. He never wanted to violate her in any way.

"It's just...I'm scared," she admitted, allowing him to pull her into his arms. "I don't want to be hurt again."

"Gabriella, look at me." Looking up, Gabriella locked eyes with Troy as he continued, "I will never hurt you. I may slip up sometimes but I'll never intentionally hurt you. I meant what I said. I love you, and nothing will change that."

"I love you, too, Troy," she replied softly. "I just want a chaste relationship right now. I want it to be innocent but loving. I want to take it slow, and I'll let you know when I'm ready to go any further."

Troy nodded, showing he understood. "I'll love you more than any other guy could. And, I promise I won't turn out like Matthews. I never want to see you hurting or crying over me."

"That's good to know," she replied. "I promise I'll always be there for you through it all, just like you are for me, and I give you my heart with all my love. I'll never hurt you, either."

Troy smiled and gave her a light peck on her lips. "I'm so lucky to finally have you."

"Not as lucky as I am to have you," she replied, returning the kiss.

Entwining their fingers, Troy softly kissed her hand, causing her to giggle and blush. Sincerely, he looked up into her eyes and spoke, "How did today go, with police or whoever?"

Gabriella sighed, feeling uneasy. "They asked me a bunch of questions about the shooting, Lance, my relationship with him, you and my friendship with you."

"So, you didn't see him?" Troy asked her.

Gabriella shook her head, tears filling her eyes. "I didn't lie to them! What if word gets back to him and he goes after me or you?"

"Baby, he won't," Troy assured her, stroking her cheek. "I won't let that happen, I promise."

Gabriella smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're so sweet!"

"So, I'm allowed to keep calling you 'baby'?" he asked her, his hands resting on the small of her back. "I know, I know, most guys call random girls they think are hot that, but I mean it in an endearing way, of course. Though, for the record, you are pretty hot."

Blushing tomato-red, she replied enthusiastically, "Of course!" It was then that she realized something else... "But, I just realized something..."

"What?" he asked, but then caught on andblushed, laughing. "G-Gabriella, will you be my girlfriend?"

"I think you know the answer," she replied, pressing her lips to his. Smiling into the kiss, he returned it.

"You are such an amazing kisser," he complimented.

"You're not bad yourself," she replied, looking at him with a look Troy was unfamiliar with. It was full of admiration, love and compassion. He could feel her love in her gaze, and he felt important, like he was needed.

"Gabi, will you...stay here...tonight, with me?" he asked her, her gaze making him slightly nervous. Her brown eyes seemed to be staring straight through him, like she was looking straight into his soul. He wondered what she saw in him that made her give him such endearing looks. Did she see any of his flaws or none at all?

Gabriella nodded. "Of course. I won't make you stay here alone by yourself."

"Uh, have you eaten yet?" he asked her, looking away from her eyes.

"No," she answered.

Getting into a bag beside him, Troy handed her fifteen dollars. "Go grab something to eat. I'm going to take a shower in the meantime."

"I don't want to waste your money," she complained.

"You're not wasting it. I can't let my girlfriend starve to death," he insisted. "Just take it."

Sighing, she nodded although still feeling nervous. "Nothing will hurt you," he assured her, sensing her fear.

Gabriella nodded and kissed him goodbye. "I love you, Troy."

"I love you, too, Gabi," he replied. "Though, you act like we won't see each other in half an hour."

"What if we don't?" she questioned on her way out. "You'll never know."

"Gabs, no one is going to hurt you again," he murmured, kissing her forehead. "It's just you and me from now on. No more complications."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gabriella's previous fears proved to be meaningless, for exactly half an hour later, she and Troy were back in his room again. She also spoke to Maria who brought her everything she would need for the night. After she returned to Troy, the new couple talked for a while until Gabriella started yawning.

"Gabi, do you want to sleep?" he asked her.

"Yeah, but I also want to stay up with you,"she told him.

"I know you do, but you need to sleep," he insisted, his voice full of concern. "Here, you can sleep here with me. I mean, not in a sexual way...you know what I mean."

"But, Troy, what about the doctors and nurses?" she reminded him.

"They probably won't even notice," he assured her.

Gabriella hesitantly nodded. "I'll go, get changed..."

As she walked away, Troy laid back on the bed. Finally, he had a girl he could call his own. He couldn't think of a better girl than Gabriella to be his first girlfriend (he silently hoped she would be his only girlfriend). They might not have known each other long, but he knew already that he was in love with her. Everything she did made him love her that much more, and he could tell she was exactly what he was looking for.

Before long, Gabriella emerged from the bathroom, wearing a tight and semi-low-cut tank-top and shorts. She blushed immediately upon feeling his eyes examining her. Her mother chose the outfit, not her. Apparently, she wanted her to look appealing for Troy but not too slutty, thankfully.

"Who knew the freaky math girl could look so hot," he teased as she walked over to him. Her blush deepened when he snaked his arms around her once she reached the bed. Carefully, he laid her down beside him, still in his arms.

"Um...Troy," she started, feeling more nervous than ever before. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable being like this just yet."

Troy nodded and reluctantly let go of her before moving away from her. "Better now?"

Gabriella nodded, snuggling into the pillow. "I'm sorry, it's just that I'm--"

"Say no more. I know, it's cool," he assured her. "I do get a goodnight kiss, though, right?"

"Of course." Gabriella leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. "Goodnight, Troy."

"Goodnight, Princess," he replied, smiling as she beamed up at him.

"Aw, now I'm your princess?" she cooed. "You're so sweet!"

Troy chuckled. "Thanks, now go to sleep, Sleeping Beauty."

"Yes, Troy," she replied, rolling her eyes before closing them. "Goodnight, Wildcat."

"Goodnight, Gabi." Watching her slowly drift off to sleep, Troy could tell she was quite tired. He knew she hadn't been getting enough sleep lately, for he remembered hearing her say the previous night that she wasn't sleeping well from worrying about him. He smiled at this thought; she cared for him. She cared so much that she lost sleep over him, just like many nights he lost sleep over her... Once he noticed she was just about asleep, he whispered, "I love you, Gabriella."


	12. Chapter 12

A few days later, Troy was released from the hospital. He spent most of the weekend with Gabriella in one way or another. She went home with him the day he was released and helped him get readjusted to his life, which Troy was thankful for her assistance. He loved spending time with her; she was fun to be around and more outgoing when she didn't have Lance to worry about. She wasn't as uptight now that he was gone. Of course, he found that she was still shaken up from everything that happened to her, but she was trying to get over it.

On Monday, Troy barely made it into school unscathed with the entire student body surrounding him. When he did make it inside, he immediately went to homeroom to escape the mad rush, only to find Ryan and Sharpay already inside.

"I see you made it back," Sharpay commented, smirking playfully.

Panting, he replied. "I don't know which was worse, taking the bullet or the crowd outside."

"Well, what you did was really something, Troy," Ryan complimented. "You took the bullet literally for someone you cared about. It's a sign of a true hero."

As Ryan was talking, Troy watched as Gabriella walked in and smiled at him. Neither Ryan nor Sharpay was aware they were together, but they had a feeling something was going on.

Gabriella heard Ryan's last phrase and smiled. "He is my hero."

Troy grinned at her. "Really?"

"Of course. You're my boyfriend, you saved me from my ex, and you got shot to protect me. Of course you're my hero," she replied.

"So, it's true that you guys are together?" Sharpay quipped, wondering why she didn't already know this.

Hesitantly, Gabriella nodded. Even though Sharpay was now dating Zeke, she still felt uneasy about her when it came to Troy.

"Aw, you guys are going to be East High's cutest couple!" she squealed.

"Wait, I thought that you liked Troy?" Gabriella said timidly, causing Sharpay to laugh.

"I _did_, until I met Zeke," Sharpay answered. "And, besides, you need Troy more than I do."

Smiling, Gabriella walked back to her seat and waited for Taylor.

* * *

At lunch, Gabriella and Troy sat alone in his rooftop hide-away. They thought of it as a date, seeing as they were alone, eating, but neither came out and called it that. In fact, they were both silent for several minutes, just enjoying each other's company.

"So, how has your day been?" Gabriella asked him casually, breaking the silence.

"Ugh, too much make-up work. I don't know how I'll get it all done," he groaned.

"I can help you," she offered. "Can you come over after school?"

"Yeah, sure," he answered, grinning. "Though, I don't know how much homework I'll get done, seeing as my teacher would be a distraction."

Gabriella laughed. "You're such a flirt."

"But, you love me, anyway," he reminded her, grinning. "So, how about you? How's your day been?"

"It's been okay, but being here with you is the highlight," she answered. "And, I talked to Sharpay some more, too. She doesn't appear to have any tricks up her sleeves. I think she's safe."

"As long as she doesn't hurt you she's safe," he retorted. "I swear, if she does anything to you, she's in for it because I know she doesn't usually act this way without wanting something or having some masterminded plan."

Laughing, she replied, "You don't trust anyone."

"I trust my parents, Chad, Zeke and Jason, and especially you, but that's about it," Troy answered.

"You need to loosen up," she commented. "You can't go through life only trusting six people."

"I see where trusting others got you. You open your heart to everyone too soon," he told her. "Like, with Lance, you opened your heart to him and see where it got you?"

"He never had my heart," she argued. "He was one of few I was hesitant to trust."

"That's good to know," he said. "You trust me, right?"

"Of course," she replied. "I love you. Of course I trust you."

"I'm glad to hear that," he told her, leaning closer to kiss her. Just as their lips were about to meet, however, they heard the bell dismissing them from lunch.

The couple groaned and grabbed their bags. "Dang it, we kissed numerous times now! Why are we back to this again?" Troy complained.

Gabriella laughed. "I'll see you tonight, Troy."

* * *

After school, Troy walked Gabriella home and she helped him with his make-up work. After a while, however, Troy lost interest in his studies and started paying more attention to Gabriella than to the task at hand.

"Troy, please pay attention," Gabriella said for the twentieth time.

"Why can't we take a break, please?" he begged. "If I could just have what I'm yearning for then maybe I won't be as distracted."

Gabriella sighed, giving in. "Fine." Truthfully, she too wanted a break. She knew what he wanted and she couldn't deny that she wanted it just as badly, but, unlike him, she could mask her desires.

Grinning, Troy put his school work down and walked over to the couch where she sat. "Time for my favorite subject."

Giggling, Gabriella wrapped her arms around him and slid into his lap once he sat down next to her. Deciding to tease her a bit, Troy ran his finger up her spine several times, giving her a tingling sensation. When she tried to kiss him, he pulled out of the way, causing her confusion. However, she quickly caught on when he pressed her back on the couch.

"Are you okay with this?" he asked her. She nodded. "Is it okay if I kiss your neck? I promise I won't go any further than that." Again, Gabriella nodded as he placed soft, gentle kisses along her neck. Closing her eyes, she relished in the feel of his soft lips against her neck. She thought it was sweet of him to ask before he did anything, for she couldn't think of another guy doing that.

A wave of fear rushed over her upon feeling Troy's lips on her collar bone as he began pulling her shirt and bra strap off her left shoulder in the process. "Troy…stop, please."

Doing as he was told, Troy stopped and looked up at her. "I'm sorry, baby, it's just, you're so beautiful I can't help it sometimes."

Gabriella smiled briefly, letting him know it was okay. "Like I said before, I don't want to go too far too fast is all. I'm far from being ready for sex, and I just want you to be aware of that."

"I want to wait, too," he assured her. "I feel close to you already, but I want to be as close to you as possible before we even think of going that far."

"So, we're on the same page, then?" she assumed.

"Yeah." Troy nodded in conformation. "Also, you do realize that, by declining sex, my respect for you increases. Most girls give in, but you don't, and I'm actually glad that you're not giving in. It gives me something to look forward to someday, hopefully. And, it let's me know that you really haven't been with someone else. In that way, anyway."

Gabriella smiled and pecked his lips, silently thanking him for telling her that. "You definitely aren't an ordinary teenage boy."

Troy smiled. "That's good to know."

"Okay, now let's get back to work! You've had your break," she ordered, sliding out from under him.

Troy groaned. "That was a short break!"

"I never said it'd be long," she replied, a teasing smile on her face.

"You're lucky you're cute," he warned her.

Grinning, she agreed, "I know!"


	13. Chapter 13

Three days passed with no real drama, much to Troy and Gabriella's surprise. It turned out that Sharpay really did want to call a truce between herself and Gabriella, which she accepted. Taylor wasn't too fond of the idea of her best friend hanging around her, but she reluctantly got over it when Sharpay offered to call a truce with the others as well.

Thursday after school, Troy and Gabriella were in the music room rehearsing for the winter musical with Kelsi, but the three had more fun not rehearsing. Troy was constantly trying to make Gabriella laugh by showing off, which led to not much getting accomplished.

Once the rehearsal was over, Troy and Gabriella walked out of the room, hand-in-hand. "I wish every rehearsal was that much fun," Troy commented.

"If they were, nothing would get done," Gabriella pointed out.

"Your point is…." he started, grinning.

"Would we know our parts?" she questioned.

"Probably not but no one would care. The girls only pay to see my hotness, and the guys only pay to see yours," he answered. "Anyway, I gotta go to the gym. Meet me there when you're done at your locker and I'll walk you home."

Gabriella nodded and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "See you there, Wildcat!"

* * *

Quickly making his way to the gym, Troy was surprised by what he found once he arrived there. He was supposed to meet Chad, but, instead, he found a tall and, in normal male perspective, hot brunette. Troy, of course, never felt an attraction to her, especially now with Gabriella in his life. Upon seeing him, her eyes widened as she rushed over to him. Troy gulped, knowing he was in for a treat he didn't bargain for.

"Uh, hi, Veronica," he greeted with false cheerfulness. She was Veronica Matthews, cousin of Lance, making her that much worse in his eyes. She was known as the school slut, but, years ago, Troy found out that she was really after him and wouldn't rest until he was hers, which was why he knew he had to be careful.

"Please tell me the rumors aren't true!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck but Troy quickly pushed her away.

"What rumor?" he asked her, no longer holding in the sternness in his voice.

"You're off the market," she answered, pouting.

"Then, yes, it's true," he replied, wishing that she would leave him alone.

"Why wouldn't you give me a chance?" she questioned, tears in her eyes.

"Look, Veronica, I have to go--"

"Stay a bit! I just wanna talk," she said innocently, coming closer, backing him against the door. Suddenly, Veronica noticed a figure on the other side of the door, thus giving her an idea.

"No, I don't ha--" Before he could finish, Veronica re-wrapped her arms around him and kissed him forcefully, knowing who was right outside the door watching them.

"Veronica, what the Hell do you think you're doing!" Chad yelled, coming from out of nowhere. Troy pushed her off, stunned. "You know Troy wants nothing to do with you!"

"Oh, Chad, it's just harmless fun!" she defended. "Or are you jealous? If so, we live next door to each other, I--"

"Enough! Veronica, leave me alone! I love Gabriella! I'll never love you!" Troy yelled, wiping her lipstick from his lips. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find her."

Troy left the gym without waiting for a response. He knew he should tell Gabriella what just happened, for good communication purposes, but he hoped she wouldn't get too upset.

Loud sobbing came from in the direction of Gabriella's locker, and when Troy arrived, he found her curled in a ball in front of her locker, crying.

"Oh, Gabi, what's wrong?" Troy asked sweetly, wrapping his arms around her, but she pulled away from him.

"D-don't touch me!" she yelled. "I saw you with her!"

Troy sighed. "Gabi, she kissed me! I pushed her away!"

Wiping her eyes, Gabriella wanted to believe him, but another part of her told her he was lying. "You're not lying?"

"No," he answered, gently caressing her cheek with his thumb. "I love you and only you. Nothing will change that."

"Liar!" Troy and Gabriella turned in the direction of the voice, finding Veronica. "Troy! You told me you love me, not her! We had sex for crying out loud!"

Suddenly, Gabriella stood up, obviously angry. "How could you do this to me! I thought you promised you would never hurt me!"

"She's lying, Gabriella!" Troy assured her, trying to hug her. "I love you, you know that!"

"Then why were you having sex with her!" Gabriella cried. "You told me you would wait for me!"

"I am waiting for you! Gabi, I never had sex with anyone, definitely not her! Especially not now that we're together!" He told her, placing his hand behind her head. "I love you. I could never do that to you. There's no one else. I only want to be with you."

"Hey! That's what you told me before we had unprotected sex!" Veronica accused.

"Quit lying!" Troy yelled angrily. "You're nothing more than a cheap slut! No one wants you, get over yourself!"

Veronica suddenly burst into tears that only Troy knew were fake. Gabriella looked furiously at him. "Gabi, it's all an act so we'll break up--"

Glaring at Troy, Gabriella finally snapped. Before Troy knew it, her hand smacked him hard upside the face, leaving a bright red mark from the impact. Gabriella looked horrified at what she had just done; Troy looked completely stunned.

"Troy, I--"

Venom in his voice, Troy spoke, "So this is what I get for taking that bullet for you? After all I did for you, this is what I get? Thanks a lot."

Tears filled her eyes as she looked to the floor, too ashamed to look at him. "I-I didn't mean--"

"Save it, it's done," he retorted coldly, walking away.

"Baby, don't go!" she cried, grabbing his wrist. "I'm sorry!"

Yanking his hand away, he continued walking without saying a word.

"Troy, no, please!" Gabriella begged, getting in front of him. "Don't be like this!"

"Out of my way," he demanded, his eyes a stony and unemotional blue.

"Troy, no, I--" Before Gabriella could finish, she found herself flat on the floor, her face stinging. Clutching her cheek, Gabriella looked up at him in fear, unable to believe he had just done that.

As Troy looked at Gabriella, it seemed as though he was about to cry. He never meant to hurt her, especially not physically. She had enough of that already; she needed him to heal those wounds, not make new ones. It may have just been one slap, but it was enough to shatter his own world and make him feel like a monster. Hitting a girl was never acceptable in his opinion, but why did he just do it? Why did he just throw everything he stood for out in a moment of weakness? Only she had the power to make him that mad.

Crouching down next to her, Troy scooped her up in his arms where she stayed momentarily, until it finally dawned on her that _he_ was the one who hit her. For once, his arms weren't a comfort. Instead, they felt like restraints, as though he was trapping her to keep her from leaving him. Maybe that was his intention...

"Don't ever touch me again!" she yelled. "I hate you!"

Those three words stung worse than any pain Troy ever experienced. He knew he definitely slipped up this time, but he wasn't expecting her to say that she hated him.

Gabriella watched in surprise as Troy buried his head in his hands and started crying. He never cried in front of her before, and she wasn't expecting him to start now. Maybe she was too hard on him, she thought. However, she was still afraid. He hit her, after all. Would he stop after the first time, or would it get worse? She knew that, after he hit her once, he would hit her again....

"Gabi, I'm so sorry! I never wanted to hurt you!" he cried, once he started calming down.

Gabriella shook her head and stood up. "I'm done with being hurt, Troy."


	14. Chapter 14

Distraught, Troy watched as Gabriella ran out of the school, knowing that he really messed up this time. He knew not to lay a finger on her when he was mad, but he couldn't control his anger this time. She was supposed to be protected by him, not have to live in fear of him hurting her.

"Troy, never mind her, she's unworthy." Finally, Troy remembered Veronica's presence, which only served to anger him that much more.

"Why did you do that!" Troy snapped. "You and everyone else knows what she's been through!"

Veronica shrugged. "It's not my fault you can't control yourself. Oh, who's that sound like? Starts with an L…"

Troy felt his breath hitch in his throat. He never thought of it that way, but that was exactly like Lance. Once he did it, would it become a constant thing? He refused to let that happen. He loved her too much to let her get hurt again. Even if he had to leave her, he wouldn't allow himself the chance to hurt her.

Troy shook his head as she continued, "…Oh yeah! Lance is his name, yeah!"

"Shut up!" he snapped. "I love her, damn it! Just leave us alone! If you wouldn't have come on to me, this wouldn't have happened!"

"You loved it, admit it," she told him seductively. "And, if you want to continue, come with me."

"I bet I couldn't go within ten feet of you without getting something from that diseased body!" Troy retorted.

Veronica looked appalled but recovered quickly. "Are you gay or what, Bolton? I mean, only a gay guy wouldn't want this." Veronica ran her hands down her body for emphasis.

"Then I guess I must be gay," he replied, looking away from her. It made him sick to think that someone like her was of the same gender as Gabriella. Gabriella was sweet and loving, whereas Veronica was seductive and mean. It made no sense that they were both classified as women.

Before Veronica could try to stop him, Troy took off after Gabriella, having heard enough from her.

* * *

As Gabriella continued running, she heard footsteps following her. Suddenly, they caught up to her and spun her around. Gabriella gasped as the person hugged her tightly, knowing who it was immediately.

"Troy, let me go!" she cried.

Reluctantly letting her go, Troy held her by the wrist instead, fearing she would run off again. "Don't run, Gabriella. It's only me."

"Why did you ever ask me to be your girlfriend? After everything I just went through, why couldn't you have led some other girl on then hurt her? Why did you have to use me?" she cried, pulling clear away from him.

"Baby girl, it's not like that," he assured her, reaching out to touch her face, but she slapped his hand away. "I love you and only you. And I'm so, so sorry for hitting you."

Sniffling, she replied. "If you loved me, you wouldn't have hurt me. I knew you were too good to be true, but I followed my heart instead of my head."

"Gabi, I'm only human, I make mistakes," he stated, wishing she would just hear him out.

"You make a lot of mistakes," she started. "Your first one was ever choosing me."

Before Troy could respond, Gabriella ran away from him for the second time that day. Sighing, Troy followed the direction she was headed but walked, wanting to give her some time to herself.

* * *

When Gabriella got home, she slunk down against the door and buried her face in her knees. She was finally alone, giving her the chance to cry and not be bothered with Troy or anyone else. All she wanted was a loving relationship, was that so wrong? She was tired of being hurt constantly in her relationships. Just once, she wished a guy would only use his hands for holding her, not to hurt her.

Sighing miserably, Gabriella remembered how perfect she thought Troy was. She thought that maybe he would be the right guy, the one she had been searching for. She could tell that he loved her and thought he would never hurt her. She trusted him, and she thought he wasn't going to break his promises. She was a fool to believe that she had the "perfect relationship". She knew all along that he was too good to be true.

Gabriella bit her bottom lip nervously, realizing that she too broke her promise to him. She not only slapped him but she also told him she hated him, breaking her vow to always love him. Of course, she didn't mean it, but he didn't know that. She knew he must have thought that she didn't love him, which made her feel ten times worse.

Needing some advice, Gabriella pulled out her cell phone to call Taylor. She wanted to forgive him, but another part of her said that he blew his chance. She hoped that Taylor would be able to help her in some way.

"Hey, Gabi," Taylor greeted her moments later.

"Taylor, I need to talk to you!" Gabriella told her desperately, cutting to the chase. "I caught Troy in the gym with another girl, they were kissing, I think, but when I confronted him, he told me that she came onto him and that he pushed her away. But, then, she came out and accused him of having sex with her, unprotected sex that is, so I didn't believe him and so I slapped him. Then he got mad and…."

"And what?" Taylor asked, urging her to continue.

"H-he hit me," she stuttered, having problems comprehending it herself.

Taylor fell silent for a moment before exploding. "Why that no-good-rotten-lunkhead! I can't believe he did that to you! When I get my hands on him, I'll--"

"You'll do nothing!" Gabriella interrupted. "Tay, he started crying, he literally sat on the floor and bawled! I-I'm the worst! I told him that I hate him! I should've stayed, I know I should've!"

"You did the right thing," Taylor assured her, her tone calmer than before, though Gabriella still sensed her anger. "Trust me, it'll be okay in the end."

"I hope," she said, sniffling. "Tay, am I supposed to forgive him?"

"It depends," she told her. "If you really think he'll never do it again, you can. But, if you feel he isn't sincere, obviously don't."

"Okay," she replied. It sounded easy enough, but she knew it would be a hard decision.

Suddenly, there was a knock on Gabriella's door. "I have to go, thanks." Once Gabriella hung up, she cautiously went to the door and opened it, only to find Troy.

Opening her mouth, Gabriella was about to speak but Troy interrupted. "Gabriella, I'm not leaving," he told her, knowing what she was about to say. "I know you're hurting because of my stupidity, and I'm not leaving you alone until I make it right between us."

Tears welled up in Gabriella's eyes as he spoke. He was so sweet, but, she couldn't give in to him, not this soon.

"Troy, I don't want to hurt anymore," she repeated her words from earlier. "I'm sorry I told you I hate you, that's definitely not true. And, I'm sorry I hit you first, I just lost it."

"Baby, you have nothing to be sorry about," he assured her, gently touching her cheek where he punched her, causing her to flinch. "It's all my fault. I'm sorry. I just want to make it up to you."

"You can start by leaving," she replied.

"But, Gabi, I--"

"Please," she pleaded. "I don't want to see you right now."

Troy sighed and nodded, feeling defeated. "I'll do anything you ask me to do."

As he started to leave, Gabriella stood at the front door and watched him, but before he got too far, he turned around.

"Whatever you decide to do about us is entirely up to you. But, if you leave me, I'll know it was my fault, not yours. I'm sorry for hurting you, but please know that I do love you, and I'll always be there for you in any way I can be," he told her before turning to leave again.

Once he was out of sight, Gabriella clutched her heavily beating heart. After his last statement, she couldn't help but to feel loved yet overwhelmed. He was willing to let her go if need be, but he still wanted to be there for her. That was a sign of true love.

However, she felt more stressed out than before. The fate of the relationship rested solely on her shoulders, so it seemed. She knew it would hurt him badly if she left him, especially after he risked his life for her. Although, she also knew that she had to do what was best for her. Even though she just recently got together with him, she already couldn't picture herself being without him. He was what made her happy. Already she felt miserable for the mere fact that he was gone. She wished she hadn't let him in so easily, but it happened, and now she was stuck.

* * *

Troy lie sprawled out on his bed from the moment he got home until seven. He didn't come down for dinner nor did he eat anything all afternoon. His parents were unaware of what happened but were growing concerned and suspicious. However, he wasn't worried about them. His only focus was on his girlfriend who was still hurting.

For the entire evening, Troy contemplated what he should do. He wanted her back; he didn't want to lose her. He just wanted to be able to hold her and make her pain go away, but he knew it wasn't that easy. He screwed up worse than ever, he thought. The first time he messed up, he apologized by singing to her. He would've tried that again, but he also knew that singing had nothing to do with his mistake this time.

No matter what, he knew that whatever he did, he would have to be sweet; show her that he loved her, he knew. Were roses and chocolate the answer? No, he decided. She deserved more than just that. If he managed to wrap the world up in a bow and wrapping paper it still wouldn't be enough to tell her he was sorry.

Troy sighed, realizing that this would be harder than he thought.


	15. Chapter 15

The weekend went by faster than Gabriella liked. Although Troy promised to leave her alone until she was ready, she was worried about what would happen when they were forced to see each other again. They hadn't made any attempt to get in contact, but she had a feeling he wouldn't make avoiding him so easy.

Unfortunately, a bruise remained from where Troy's hand struck her. What would everyone at school think? Would they know Troy did it? She hoped not, even though he did do it. She didn't want his good reputation tarnished by one small incident.

At her locker, Gabriella scanned the crowded hallway until her eyes landed on the blond headed to Ms. Darbus' homeroom. She didn't know why she wanted to talk to Sharpay, but she felt the need to tell her what was going on. She just hoped she wasn't the gossip Queen everyone claimed she was.

"Hi, Sharpay," Gabriella greeted nervously. "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure," Sharpay agreed. "What about?"

"Troy," she simply stated.

Sharpay looked from her eyes to examine the rest of her face, immediately finding something different. "Ohmigosh, the rumors are true!"

"What rumor?" Gabriella queried, although already feeling that she knew. Suddenly, she felt sick inside. The whole school must've found out.

"That Troy cheated on you, and, then, hit you!" Sharpay answered. "I never thought he was like that!"

"So, everyone knows?" Gabriella guessed.

"Everybody who's anybody!" Sharpay cried.

Gabriella gulped, knowing Troy's perfect reputation was, without a doubt, ruined.

"Don't worry, though," Sharpay started. "That boy deserves what's coming to him!"

Gabriella didn't hear this last comment, for she was too busy staring at the boy who just came into her line of sight. For a moment, their eyes locked but she looked away quickly. However, he came toward her, anyway.

"Speaking of the devil," Gabriella whispered as he drew closer. He held one hand behind his back, arousing her suspicion.

"What is it, Bolton? Haven't you hurt her enough?" Sharpay snapped.

Troy looked hurt for a moment but it immediately passed when his glance fell upon his girlfriend's bruised cheek. "Oh my God, Gabi, I-I'm so, so, sorry!"

"You've already said that," Gabriella reminded him. She felt terrible when his expression shifted to horror and grief. He definitely wasn't like Lance. When he hit her, he showed no remorse. When Troy hit her, however, he acted as if he just killed someone. '_Maybe I could trust him again_....' she thought.

Troy gulped and pulled his hand out from behind his back, revealing a bouquet of red and pink roses. Although he decided flowers and chocolate were out, he bought her roses, knowing that what was inside the bouquet was what mattered the most. "These are for you."

"Th-thanks," she stuttered, accepting the flowers in surprise. "They're beautiful."

"No problem," he replied. "Though, they aren't much of an apology and I know they'll never be enough to win your love."

Glancing at Gabriella, Sharpay could tell that she was falling for it. Sharpay, however, was unconvinced. After everything Gabriella went through, she knew that she would have to play hard-to-get, so when she finally forgave him, he would know next time that she was not one to be messed with.

"Troy, she's not giving in that easily," Sharpay interrupted.

Surprised, Gabriella looked at Sharpay. She was right, but she never expected Sharpay to say it, nor could she say she was pleased that she had.

Troy sighed. "I know. This isn't all. I'll see you later, Gabriella."

Once Troy was out of sight, Gabriella angrily turned to Sharpay. "Why did you have to do that?"

"Do what?" Sharpay asked innocently. "All I did was tell him the truth. He can't buy your love, Gabriella."

"He's not," she defended, her anger melting slightly. "Shar, I love Troy. All I need is time to think, not push him away entirely."

Sharpay gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry, I just think maybe you'll take him back too soon."

"When the time is right I'll be his again," Gabriella told her. "Not before."

"Fine, but Troy better not do it again or he'll have to deal with me," Sharpay warned.

"He won't, I think," Gabriella answered, although she sounded the least bit confident.

* * *

That evening, Gabriella was in her bedroom reading, like she did every night. Even though, lately, she had problems concentrating, she wanted to at least make an attempt.

Setting the book aside momentarily, she picked up the flowers from her nightstand, the ones given to her by Troy. As she did, a piece of paper fell out.

_Gabriella,_

_Words cannot describe how I feel right now. I hurt my precious, gentle, sweet baby girl, and, for that, I'll never forgive myself. But, Gabi, I love you so, so much. I need you in my life or else I'll go berserk. I deserve to be hung for ever hurting you. You're my angel, Gabriella, the one who keeps me on the right path, and you gave me a reason to fall in love. You were the first person to ever love me for who I am and not because of status or looks, which I'm grateful for everyday. I know you don't need me, but, baby, please try to believe me. I'll never hurt you again. You're too hard to come by. I never cheated on you, either. Veronica has been after me for years, but, sweetheart, you're all the woman I need. I would never even think of cheating. There's no one out there that's better for me than you. Please, let me in again, and I swear I won't break your heart again, G._

_Love always,_

_Troy_

Teary-eyed, Gabriella let his words sink in. Maybe it was only an accident after all. He seemed too apologetic and upset for it to have been on purpose. Maybe she could give him another chance.

Slowly, she picked up her cell phone and called him. A few seconds later, he answered.

"Gabriella?" he questioned, sounding baffled that she called him. He thought she wanted nothing to do with him.

"Troy, I need to talk to you. Is tomorrow okay?" she asked, cutting to the chase.

"Um, sure," he answered, surprise still evident in his voice.

"Great! See you then. Bye!" With that, Gabriella quickly turned her phone off, not wanting to discuss the matters over the phone.

Sitting her phone down, she turned toward the sound of her door opening, revealing Maria.

"Hi, Mom," she greeted, attempting to sound like nothing was wrong.

Smiling warmly, Maria sat down beside her on the bed. For the first time, she noticed the bruise on her cheek and gasped. "Gabi, how did--"

"I'd rather not talk about it," she interrupted, knowing what she would ask. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I just wanted to know where Troy was today. He's been walking you home almost every day, and so I was confused when he wasn't here when I got off. Did something happen?"

"We got into a...squabble Friday. We're slowly working it out, though," Gabriella explained.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Maria asked her.

Gabriella sighed, hugging her knees to her chest. "I saw him with another girl. I over-reacted because they were kissing, or, well, she kissed him. She told me they had sex and everything, but Troy denied it saying that he loved me and would never do that to me. But, I believed her. I snapped and slapped him. I told him I hated him." By now, she started crying. She left out the part where Troy hit her and so Maria's image of him wouldn't be tarnished. "I'm horrible! I did that to him yet he's the one doing all the apologizing and begging me back!"

"Oh, Gabi, it'll be okay. Of course you're going to fight sometimes. It's what keeps relationships healthy," Maria assured her.

Gabriella sniffled. "The worst part is, it was him chasing me down Friday to beg for forgiveness. He shouldn't have had to apologize at all, yet he gave me roses and a love letter, anyway."

"He loves you," Maria stated matter-of-factly. "He doesn't care what he has to do, whether it was his fault or not. He just wants you back."

"I'm actually starting to believe it..."

* * *

For the rest of the night, Troy felt more relived than ever. By the tone of Gabriella's voice, he could tell she was willing to listen to him. He had a better chance of getting her back, he thought. Things were finally looking up again.

* * *

The following morning, Troy waited for Gabriella at her locker. When she arrived, she smiled nervously at him, and he was happy to see that the bruise on her cheek was slowly fading. Timidly, he spoke, "Gabi, I'm here, I'm ready."

"Troy, can we do this after school, at our spot?" she asked him.

Troy nodded. "Yeah, as long as I can hold you in my arms by the end of today I don't mind."

Hesitantly, Gabriella kissed his cheek, unable to fight the intense urge to do so. Wanting more, Troy leaned in to kiss her lips, but she pulled back. "Not now, Troy, please?"

Like a small child denied a cookie, he looked down in obvious disappointed. She sighed and leaned in to kiss him, not wanting to upset him, but it was his turn to stop her.

"Don't kiss me if you don't want to," he meekly told her. "I never want you to feel like you have to do something just because I want to, even if it's as simple as a kiss."

Smiling slightly, Gabriella decided to try again, this time wanting to kiss him. Realizing that she wanted this, he started leaning in as well, only slower. Their lips were just about to meet when….

"No public display of affection!" Ms. Darbus bellowed at the pair. Troy and Gabriella pulled back, their faces red as tomatoes.

"I-I'll see you later," Gabriella told him quietly before walking away.

"Later, right," he replied, running his hand over his cheek from where she kissed him.

* * *

"…So, ready to meet Prince Charming?" Kelsi teased Gabriella as they walked to their lockers after school.

Gabriella laughed. "Yeah, though I think I should be mean and make him wait a bit longer."

Suddenly, Kelsi heard several pairs of footsteps behind them. Turning around, she found three members of the football team, all eying Gabriella.

"Gabi, turn around," Kelsi whispered hoarsely.

Confused, Gabriella did as she said and gasped. Grabbing Kelsi's wrist, she started to run with her but the three out-ran and trapped them. One of them detached Kelsi from Gabriella while another one grabbed Gabriella's arms from behind.

"You'll say nothing or else you're next!" one warned Kelsi, knocking her to the ground.

"Leave us alone!" Gabriella cried, trying to escape but failing.

"You messed with us when you got Lance in trouble, now we'll mess with you!" the one holding her threatened, forcing her down the hall. There was no one else around, meaning they could do as they pleased right there but chose another location.

Kelsi watched helplessly as Gabriella struggled, but when no one was paying attention, she ran, a set destination in mind.

* * *

After school, Troy immediately went to the rooftop garden and waited for Gabriella. He hadn't seen her since that morning, and he yearned to talk to her, no, _needed_ to talk to her. It felt like an eternity since he last touched her. He missed her terribly; all he wanted was to hold her again.

Several minutes later, Troy heard someone running up the stairs, but, instead of Gabriella, he found Kelsi.

"Troy! This is terrible! Gabriella was taken by some of Lance's goons!"


	16. Chapter 16

Before Kelsi could finish, Troy ran down stairs faster than he had ever run in his life. He didn't know where they were, but his heart directed him to a supply closet not far from Ms. Darbus's classroom. When he got there, however, the door was locked. Listening closely, he heard Gabriella's sobs, begging them to stop. Troy's instincts knew what they were doing, but he wouldn't let it happen; he couldn't.

Forcefully, Troy started running at the door, ramming his shoulder into it. After a few times, the door finally came open, knocking down one of the three.

"Get away from her!" Troy shouted angrily, fuming with rage. Before they could respond, he punched the closest one in the mouth and quickly got in front of Gabriella, ready to fight.

Wordlessly, the only one left untouched came at Troy, but he stood his ground and kicked him in the stomach, only to have the other two come at him at once. Troy knew he was no match, but he knew he had to get them away from Gabriella, who had fallen to her knees behind him.

The other two started throwing blow after blow at Troy until finally giving him a busted lip, but Troy remained standing, blocking what he could. When the third came back, Troy knew he was finished. The three came at him from all angles: the face, ribs, groin, chest, everywhere, until he couldn't take it anymore and fell, unconscious.

As Gabriella watched this, she knew her one ray of hope was gone. Troy, her hero, had just taken a beating all to protect her; now she was convinced he loved her. Gabriella started to pull Troy into her lap, tears mixing with the blood on his lips, but the three forced her back into a standing position.

"Your boyfriend's little interference will make this ten times worse!" one, whom she heard was called Trent, told her venomously. Gabriella had managed to pull her pants back on during Troy's fight, but the three immediately started grabbing for them and the rest of her clothes. Regaining a bit of courage, she felt around until she found a broom handle and started aimlessly ramming it into them, until one, Michel, took it from her and jabbed her in the stomach. She groaned and fell to her knees.

"You're not going that easily!" Trent yelled, but before they could do anything, three others joined them and proceeded to attack them. Gabriella immediately recognized the three as Chad, Zeke and Jason.

In the midst of battle, Gabriella pulled Troy into a sitting position and tried to wake him. Finally, she felt his hands start to move, but when his hand brushed her thigh, she hastily grabbed it before he went further.

"G-Gabriella," he stuttered, blinking his eyes to clear his vision.

"C'mon, let's go home," she whispered, helping him up.

"Troy, you and Gabriella get out of here!" Chad directed.

"C'mon," she urged, holding him by the waist until he regained strength in his legs. Gabriella felt someone grab her waist, but Troy protectively pulled her away, knowing that she needed him more to comfort her than the others needed him to help them, even though he wanted nothing more than to finish what he started, that is, nothing more except her.

Once out of the school, Gabriella held tightly to Troy until she was sure he was okay. Once assured he was all right to walk, she let go of him, much to Troy's dismay.

"Gabriella--"

"I don't want to talk right now," she interrupted. "Just, please, walk me home."

He nodded, showing that he understood. Carefully, he slipped his hand in hers but she pulled it away, looking down in shame.

As they walked home, Troy couldn't take his eyes off of Gabriella. He knew she was upset and hurting, but she refused to let him hold her or talk to her. She seemed fine until they got out of the school; she was talking and holding him, but why wouldn't she let him do that for her? He didn't understand.

Meanwhile, Gabriella was also struggling. She had to hold herself together; she refused to break. She didn't want to cry, but crying was also the only thing she wanted to do. She wanted Troy to hold her and comfort her, but she also didn't want anyone to touch her. Also, she wanted to talk to him and smooth things out, but now wasn't the time.

Once they arrived at her home, without looking at Troy, Gabriella finally spoke, "I'm going to take a shower in my mom's bathroom. You can go in mine and get cleaned up."

Silently, Troy nodded and followed her upstairs. Suddenly, she stopped and Troy instinctively pulled her into him, knowing she was about to fall. Burying her face into his chest, Gabriella lost all power in her legs and fell, but Troy held her in a standing position.

"Baby, shh, it's okay," he whispered, sitting on the step, her in his lap. "I'm here now, you're safe."

Abruptly, Gabriella stood up and ran to her mother's bathroom. Troy sighed and went in hers to clean his face.

Stepping into the bathroom, Gabriella locked the door and slowly undressed. When she was done, she stood in front of her mother's full-length mirror, examining her new cuts and bruises. There was a large bruise on her stomach and cuts on her thighs from where they tried and failed to get inside her. She shuddered at the memory but then decided to check her face. The bruise on her cheek from Troy was nothing compared to the two black eyes she now sported.

Tearing her eyes away, Gabriella turned the water on, wanting to wash away the memories.

* * *

When Troy was finished cleaning his cuts, he went back downstairs and sat on the couch, waiting patiently for Gabriella. Although he wasn't sure if she wanted him there, he remembered they still hadn't talked about the accident which needed to be discussed. He needed to know where he stood with her, if she would give him another chance.

Twenty minutes later, Gabriella came downstairs wearing a tank-top and sweatpants, her wet hair in a loose side ponytail. Troy watched, mesmerized, as she walked down to him. It ceased to amaze him how beautiful she looked, especially with no make-up and a battered face. He knew he would love waking up to see her every morning.

Reluctantly, Gabriella sat down beside him, surprised when he didn't try to hold her or touch her. She didn't know why but she was disappointed that he hadn't, but the disappointment soon evaporated when Troy wrapped his arm around her stomach, unknowingly giving her the comfort she needed.

"They'll never hurt you again, sweetheart," he whispered, kissing her forehead. Without hesitation, Gabriella rested her head and hand on his chest, but quickly pulled back upon feeling him flinch.

"Troy, what's wrong?" she asked, alarmed.

"It's okay, I just have a bruise," he assured her.

"Let me see it," she ordered.

Sighing, Troy unbuttoned his shirt, but upon seeing his chest, Gabriella almost fainted. He was a mess of black and blue from his neck down, and seeing him only brought tears to her eyes.

"Baby, it's okay. I'm fine," he assured her. "I deserved this."

"No, you didn't!" she cried. "You didn't deserve this! I did! It's my fault they came after me. I'm the reason why Lance is in jail!"

"I deserve it. I hurt you," he reasoned. "If it wasn't me, it'd be you, and they would've raped you. I would never be able to live with myself if that happened." Gently, Troy wiped the tears from her eyes and slowly kissed her lips. Melting into the kiss, Gabriella momentarily forgot what she was upset about as he pulled her into his lap, neither one breaking the kiss. Carefully, Troy massaged her back once they broke the kiss as she rested her head on his shoulder, careful not to touch his torso.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" he asked her. Smiling, she kissed his cheek. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Am I forgiven?" she asked. "For accusing you of cheating, hitting you, then saying I hate you."

"Baby, you know I said you did nothing wrong," he reminded her.

"I know, but I still feel like I did something wrong," she said, caressing his face.

"You didn't, Gabi. Either way, I don't care as long as you're my girlfriend again," he told her.

"I never stopped being your girlfriend," she corrected him. "But, please, promise me that your hands will only ever touch me with love and tenderness, not with anger."

"That I'll definitely promise you," he assured. "I couldn't bear seeing you like that again."

"Good, because you're too sweet to be violent towards anyone," Gabriella told him, placing her palm on his nipple, the only place not bruised.

Troy sighed pleasurably and closed his eyes. "I only want to fight those who hurt my loved ones, especially you."

"That's good to hear," she told him.

"So, how are you?" he asked. "I wasn't the only one hurt in the battle."

Biting her bottom lip, she answered, "Other than what you see, I just have a bruise on my stomach and some cuts on my inner thighs."

"Can I see, at least your stomach?" he asked her.

Reluctantly, Gabriella nodded and lifted her shirt enough for him to see the bruise. Carefully, he placed his hand over it, not removing it when she flinched. "How's this feel?"

"O-okay," she replied as he started caressing the bruise. Inner tension grew inside her as his soft hand left her bruise and traveled all across her exposed stomach. She caught herself yearning for him to touch her everywhere, loving the feel of her tender hands on her, but, morally, she knew it would be wrong and would progress into more. Troy must've sensed her uneasiness, for he quickly removed his hand.

"S-so, your mom comes home at five, right?" he asked, taking their minds off of what just happened, although his face was beet red.

"Yeah," she answered, gingerly pulling her shirt back over her stomach.

"Want me to stay here until then?" he offered.

"It's only half an hour, I'll be fine," Gabriella assured him, though her eyes told a different story.

"Nah, I'll stay," he argued, sensing her hidden fear. "Besides, I want to say hi to your mom, and maybe I'll get lucky and she'll tell me some of your embarrassing childhood stories."

As Troy snickered, Gabriella poked her tongue out at him. "Well, I bet if you got me alone with your mom, she'd break out your embarrassing baby pictures."

"I have none. I was an awesome kid," he told her, causing Gabriella to laugh.

"You are so full of yourself!" she told him, smiling, glad to have a less serious discussion with him.

"Ask my parents, they'll say the same thing," he defended, equally relieved that the subject was light-hearted.

"Yeah...right," she sarcastically agreed. "I bet you were a dork."

Mock offended, Troy frowned and placed his hand over his heart. "Break my heart, Gabriella."

"Aw, poor Troy," she replied, kissing his cheek. "I love you regardless."


	17. Chapter 17

Another week passed for Troy and Gabriella with little drama. The only thing that went wrong was Chad, Zeke and Jason received a one-week suspension due to the fight, but, due to 'persuasion' by Troy, Gabriella's attackers confessed and were arrested, but, because Trent confessed immediately, he received a lower jail sentence. Unfortunately for Gabriella, he could receive a minimum of two months and could possibly return to school thanks to his parents' money but wouldn't be allowed near her.

As far as their relationship, things seemed perfect for Troy and Gabriella. Although Gabriella was busy with the decathlon team as of late, Troy made sure he spent time with her everyday whether it be for musical practice, free period, or walking her home, like he did almost every day. As far as the weekend, Troy made arrangements for them to meet up at a local diner for their first official date, which, surprisingly to them, went perfectly.

Wednesday of the following week came, and Troy was hard at work, attempting to come up with the perfect one-month anniversary gift for Gabriella but failing. It would be one month on Friday that the two had been together, and he wanted it to be perfect. Gabriella continuously told him that she didn't want anything other than a dinner date, but Troy refused to accept it, although he didn't know what to get her. During lunch, he decided to ask Chad.

"…Dude, one month is one month. It's not like it's your one year anniversary," Chad constantly told him.

"Chad, you know as well as I do what Gabriella went through. I want to get her something special because she deserves it," Troy stated. "But, I don't know what she wants."

"Just take her out to dinner," Chad suggested.

"I already am, but I want to give her something; something long-lasting, so if we're ever separated, like if one of us goes away, she'll have it for when I can't be with her," Troy explained.

Looking at the ring on Troy's finger, Chad got an idea. "Your class ring."

"That's a great idea!" Troy commended, for he forgot about the high school tradition of exchanging class rings. Although Gabriella didn't have one from moving so many times, he still felt it would be right to give her his ring. "I'll do it, thanks."

"No prob," Chad replied. "I told you I was a genius."

At this, Troy laughed. "In your dreams, man."

"Oh yeah? Well, you're not that smart, either," Chad defended.

"Leave the thinking to our girlfriends," Troy joked. "They're the smart ones. With them around, there's no point in learning anything ."

Chad laughed. "At least your girlfriend doesn't insult your intelligence."

"No, she just likes to poke fun at me a lot," Troy admitted. "Of course, I poke fun at her**,** too, so we're even."

"It could be worse. We could be Zeke," Chad reminded him, watching Zeke as he came towards them, Sharpay behind him, complaining about her usual problems.

"Poor guy." Troy chuckled, although, he was thankful Gabriella wasn't like that.

After watching the couple for a few seconds, Troy turned his attention to his own girlfriend who appeared to be happily chatting with Taylor. Back when they first started dating, they mutually decided it would be best not to sit together at lunch unless something came up, so that way they wouldn't lose contact with their friends and groups, and that would make their time together seem more special. Troy liked this idea mainly because it was his chance to be alone with his friends and, times like these, he could seek relationship help and advice. The only reason he didn't like the idea was because, like a mother hen, he worried every time he looked and she wasn't there. He never told her just how afraid he was of losing her; he didn't want her to fear for her own safety or worry when he was out of sight. That was one of few things he felt she didn't need to know.

* * *

On the opposite side of the cafeteria, Gabriella was having her own problems.

"...Taylor, I don't know what to do!" Gabriella cried as her best friend bit into a ham and cheese sandwich.

"Calm down for starters," Taylor instructed. "You could always just give him something handmade."

"But, nothing will be good enough!" she whined. "Troy is too good for anything!"

"Gabi, get a hold of yourself!" Taylor yelled. "He'll love anything you give him! Why? Because he loves you!"

Gabriella sighed and nodded, knowing Taylor was probably right. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Maybe you should write him a love letter," Taylor suggested. "That's the best way to show him that you love him."

Gabriella thought for a moment before nodding. Ever since he hurt her, he started leaving her cute little notes every now and then to remind her of how important she was to him. It was sweet, but she never returned the favor, not wanting to get embarrassed or say the wrong thing. However, she realized that Friday would be her chance. "Good idea. Hopefully he'll like it."

"Honey, as long as it doesn't say 'I hate you', 'I love someone else', or 'I'm dumping you', he'll love it," Taylor assured her. "Even if you just thank him for what he's done for you in the past couple of months, I'm sure he'll appreciate it. Just let him know you're grateful for his kindness."

"That sounds kind of weird, though. I mean, I'm forever grateful to have him in my life, but his notes and letters to me have always been sweet and romantic, thank-you just seems too formal," Gabriella explained, sighing. "I wish I could put feelings into words as easily as he can."

"Just try, that's all he asks of you," Taylor replied. "It's the thought that counts."

"That's true, I guess," she agreed. "In the meantime, I'll try to think of something to go with it."

* * *

After school, Troy walked Gabriella home as he did everyday. Gabriella always insisted she would manage on her own, but Troy refused to let her, saying he couldn't bear it if something happened to her, so she finally gave in and let him walk with her. Besides, it was one time in the day they were completely alone with each other.

When they got to her house, Gabriella decided to do something abnormal. Taking him by the hand, she led Troy upstairs to her bedroom, certain that he wouldn't push the boundaries once they were there.

"I figured my bed would be more comfortable than the couch. I trust you, which is why you're up here," Gabriella explained before he could ask any questions. "We're definitely not up here to--"

Troy started laughing. "Gabi, I know! Chill out a little bit. I was getting tired of the couch, too."

Suddenly, Gabriella playfully tackled him onto the bed, but he held her waist, pulling her down on top of him. Playfully smirking, Troy rolled her off of him and turned to face her, their faces centimeters apart.

Examining her face, Troy was relieved to see that the bruise from where he hit her was gone, as well as her black eyes. His cuts were healed as well, leaving him with only a few bruises on his torso but nothing serious.

Silently, Gabriella wrapped her arms around his back, unable to fight the urge to touch him. Smiling, Troy returned the embrace, holding her as close to him as he possibly could.

A thought struck Gabriella, causing her to go into a fit of giggles. "You know what you are?"

"I know I'm your boyfriend. What else?" he asked her curiously.

"You're like a life-size teddy bear!" she gushed. "You're not stuffed, but every time I see you I just want to hold you tightly. You're good for comfort, and you have a soft, warm heart when it comes to me."

Troy groaned. "That better not be--"

"That'll be your new nickname!" Troy groaned again.

"Gabi, why must you do this this to me? I look nothing like a stuffed bear!" he complained.

"You might have a well-toned body," she replied, running her finger down his chest through his shirt for emphasis. "But, on the inside, you're soft, cute, kind, sweet and cuddly, just like a teddy bear."

Looking into her eyes, Troy knew he would surrender the argument. He could never argue with her, for he always caved. He sighed. "Fine, but you can only call me that when we're alone, but not at school whether we're alone or not."

"Aw, but why not? I let you call me sweetheart, baby and angel everywhere we go, alone or not," she pointed out.

"That's because none of them are going to embarrass you," he replied, placing his hand on her shoulder, but she pouted.

"You're no fun," she complained, though she loosened up when Troy kissed her nose.

"But, you still love me," he told her, a teasing smile plastered on his face. "And, I love you no matter how many times you tell me I'm no fun."

Gabriella poked her tongue out at him, but as she did, Troy's soft lips came crashing down on hers and soon both were involved in a heated lip-lock. Her hands found their way to his hair, ruffling it while their lips moved together. Noticing she had a shirt on beneath her sweater, Troy lightly tugged on it, silently asking for permission to remove it, which Gabriella hesitantly granted. Pulling away momentarily, he pulled the sweater off over her head, leaving her with a tight, white tank-top.

Blushing slightly, Gabriella was relieved to find Troy staring into her eyes, nowhere else. However, not wanting him to feel left out, she started unbuttoning his shirt, remembering how toned he was, even when covered in bruises, which, thankfully, his skin was flawless, causing her gawk at him. Smiling, Troy watched as a slight blush emerged on her face, something that he only had the power to do.

Once she removed his shirt, with his help, the couple laid back down. Nestling into his chest as he held her tightly, Gabriella let out a pleased sigh. Although his hugs always gave her comfort, this one seemed different. She felt calmed more than any other time, she guessed because it was almost skin-on-skin, the closest they had ever been to each other.

After a few seconds, Troy nuzzled his head into her hair, loving the feel of her body pressed against his bare chest. Like Gabriella, he too sensed a difference between their normal time together and what was going on right now. He felt the bond between them growing everyday, but, in that moment, he felt as though the connection was as strong as it possibly could be without having sexual relations.

"Think we'll stay like this?" Gabriella asked him quietly, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"I hope," he answered, rubbing her back.

"So, you'll always be my teddy bear?" she asked him, smiling innocently.

Troy chuckled. "I will as long as you don't call me that in public."

Gabriella pouted but finally nodded. "Fine, as long as you still act like my teddy bear in public."

"Do teddy bears look as hot as me?" Troy asked, smirking.

Gabriella laughed and playfully smacked his shoulder. "Way to ruin the moment!"

"Fine, then! Don't speak to me! You should've known that question was coming!" he defended. "But, I still want an answer."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Yes, Troy, you're hotter than a teddy bear."

Troy grinned. "Thought so."


	18. Chapter 18

Two days later, Gabriella scurried down the halls of East High until she reached the familiar place, the rooftop garden. Anxiously, she awaited her boyfriend who told her he would be running a few minutes late. Ever since her last assault, she feared being alone but never told him, not wanting to sound like a baby.

With her letter and her gift tucked safely in her bag, Gabriella fidgeted until the door swung open and Troy sprinted up to her, panting heavily. Gabriella laughed as he regained his breath. "Practicing for a marathon?"

"No, I just didn't want my beautiful damsel in distress to be alone for too long," he replied, catching his breath. His senses knew she was afraid to be alone, even though she never came out and told him.

Smiling, Gabriella wrapped her arms around his neck and pecked his lips. "Happy one month anniversary, Wildcat."

Also smiling, Troy returned the kiss. "Happy one month anniversary to you, too, beautiful."

Gabriella giggled girlishly and blushed, what she seemed to do every time he called her beautiful. She didn't know why she always did that; was it his charm, the look in his eyes, or the way the words rolled off his tongue? Whichever it was, she enjoyed the butterflies that continuously invaded her stomach every time he used one of his pet names for her.

"So, ready for your gifts?" he asked her.

Gabriella gulped. Did he just say gifts? Why did he get her anything? Now she felt embarrassed, thinking that hers would be nothing compared to what he was giving her. "I thought I said--"

"I know you said you just wanted a dinner date, but, Gabi, you've been through so much, I just wanted to give you something to make it a bit better for you," he explained, pulling a smaller bag from his duffel bag. "Now, close your eyes."

Doing as she was told, Gabriella relied on her other senses which told her that he was behind her. Suddenly, she felt something wrap around her neck: a chain. It fit loosely; it wasn't a chocker necklace but it wasn't too long, just how she liked it.

Once he secured the necklace around her neck, Troy walked back in front of her and got out what was in the bag. "Now, keep your eyes closed and give me your hands."

Once again, Gabriella did as she was told, although, she was confused. Taking both of her hands in his free hand, Troy placed the object on top of them, giving her time to grasp it firmly without letting it drop. Once his confused girlfriend had a grip on it, he decided it was time to let her see. "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Opening her eyes, Gabriella squealed with delight and hugged the object which happened to be a stuffed, brown teddy bear with a heart in its arms containing the words 'I love you'. Troy chuckled, loving that she could be as serious as an adult but still having the excitement of a child.

"Oh my gosh, Troy! I love it! It's so cute!" she gushed, hugging her boyfriend tightly. "You're so sweet!"

"You and your new name for me inspired this," he told her, grinning, for he couldn't recall the last time he had seen her this happy. "But, it gave me the idea because I wanted you to have something for comfort when I can't be there and you're upset, which I hope never happens but we'd never know. Plus, you can always be reminded of me."

"Aw!" she cried. "I love you so much!"

"Your teddy bear loves you, too," he whispered and kissed the top of her head.

Gabriella beamed with delight. "So I'm allowed to call you that now?"

"It's cute," he admitted. "It'll grow on me, I guess. By the way, look at what's around your neck."

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Gabriella held the necklace in her hand for a better view, gasping at what she saw. "Your class ring?"

Troy nodded. "You know the high school traditions, right?"

Teary-eyed, Gabriella nodded. "I know…but, I'm sorry I don't have one to give to you, but you know I've moved so many times, and--"

Gently, Troy pressed his finger to her lips, silencing her. "I know, baby, I wasn't expecting anything from you. I just wanted to give you mine because it seemed like the perfect time."

"And...a locket?" she questioned, noticing the small heart beside his ring. Gingerly, she opened it and found a picture of them. She recognized it immediately as one Maria took of them recently. In the photo, they were kissing.

"Did you read the front?" he asked her.

Closing the locket again, she gazed at the front, her mind focused on one word: _forever._

"Forever," she whispered, tears filling her eyes. He simply was the best boyfriend she could've asked for, but now she felt like a fool.

Sighing, Troy held her close to him, whispering that it was okay. After a few seconds, Gabriella pulled away and fumbled in her bag, although knowing that what she had to give was a disappointment compared to his.

"I-I have something for you, too, though they're nothing compared to what you gave me," she told him, not facing him.

_So, that's what she was afraid of_, he thought. She was scared he would be disappointed, but, considering he didn't ask for anything in the first place, he immediately knew he wouldn't be. Besides, it was coming from her, and so he already loved it.

Gingerly, Gabriella handed him a thin, square box. "H-here."

Smiling genuinely, Troy opened the box and pulled out a picture frame, the words 'Gabi loves Troy' written in fancy red glitter glue. Troy stared at the picture, recognizing immediately from a few days ago when Gabriella asked Maria to take their picture. In fact, it was one of those pictures that Maria gave him to put in her locket. In the picture, he had one arm around her back and she was hugging him from his left, her head nestled under his arm.

To Gabriella's surprise, Troy suddenly leaned forward and kissed her, his hands making their way to her face. Pulling away after a few seconds, he spoke, "Sweetheart, I love it! Why would I not?"

Dabbing her eyes, Gabriella felt somewhat embarrassed but relieved, nonetheless. "Th-there is part two."

"Really?" he asked, surprised as she handed him a neatly-folded piece paper.

"I-it's not as good as the love letters you give me, but I tried," she told him honestly.

Carefully, Troy unfolded the paper and sat down on the bench; Gabriella remained standing. "I'm positive I'll love it, Gabi."

_Troy,_

_The last couple of months with you have been nothing short of a roller coaster ride. From auditioning on a whim for the musical, my abusive past relationship, and us getting together, it's been overall an amazing ride that I'm glad I got to share with you._

_As my friend, you've been there for me in so many ways. Thanks to you, I wasn't afraid to sing on New Year's Eve or at the callbacks. You were always real with me and never tried to be someone you're not. I've never met anyone like you, which is why I started crushing on you._

_I guess the reason I decided to date Lance was because, after I heard you say that stuff to your friends and you apologized, I started doubting that you saw me as more than a friend, but I later found out I couldn't be more wrong and I guess I paid for my mistake._

_After we got together, I found out that I was dating the sweetest guy on the planet earth. You truly are a teddy bear when it comes to loving me, and you may see that as an insult, but I love that you have a soft spot when it comes to me. That's what I was deprived of in my last relationship, as I'm sure you know. I'd rather you be a soft teddy bear than an abuser any day._

_Anyhow, there's something I really need you to know, and that's how much I appreciate having you by my side. Thank you for always being there for me, for saving me, and, most of all, loving me. Troy, you'll never understand just how thankful I truly am. You saved my life by sacrificing your own. For that, I know you mean it every time you tell me you love me. Although, I thought I was going to lose you. Troy, that would've been the most tragic thing for me, but I'm forever grateful that you're still here and just fine. I don't know what I would do or where I would be if you weren't here._

_Lastly, Troy, I just want to say I love you. I know I tell you that everyday, but I sometimes wonder if you really believe me. I mean it every time I say it, but I want you to realize that it's true and I'm not using you for your generosity. Unlike all the other girls here who grovel at your feet, I know the real you. I don't love you for school status, your good looks, none of that. I love you for your sweetness, your caring nature, your sometimes dorky personality, your charm, and just the fact that you're you. Wildcat, if you were in a wheelchair, still in that coma, or had any other problem that would affect our time together, I would still remain hopelessly devoted to you._

_Love you, teddy bear,  
Your angel,  
Gabriella_

As he finished reading it, Troy had to bite his bottom lip to keep from tearing up. Gabriella noticed this and feared the worst. "Oh, Troy, I knew this was a bad idea!"

"No, no, you have it all wrong! I-I love it!" he stuttered. "Gabriella, this right here is the best thing anyone has ever given me!"

"Really?" she asked, bewildered.

"Yeah!" he answered, hugging her tightly. "And, it came from you, making it even better! It's certainly better than what I gave you."

Gabriella let out a sigh of relief before responding, "Now you sound like me earlier. I love what you gave me, Troy. You've given me the best gift of all for the past month, and that's love. Love was all I ever wanted, and your love is the best love."

"Getting all sappy on me, now?" he teased her.

"I've just been around the King of Sappy too much," she replied, looking up upon feeling a raindrop hit her shoulder. "Um, we better go."

"Yeah," he agreed, taking her hand in his.

"Hold on," she said, tucking the bear in her bag safely. Remembering her letter, Troy tucked it in the frame and put it all in his bag as well.

Once the couple was outside, they soon realized that, in the five minutes they were inside, a downpour started. Being the gentleman he was, Troy quickly gave her his jacket.

"Troy, you don't--"

"Gabi, you know as well as I know that this is a boyfriend tradition," he stated.

"But, you'll--"

"Don't worry about me," he cut her off. "Now, c'mon, I can't let you get sick."

Gabriella sighed, caving in. "Then we better run."

"Right." Through the rain, Troy took off running, pulling Gabriella along with him. She didn't know where she was going, for her head was down, but Troy was leading the way, meaning she didn't need to know. She trusted him with her life.

After several minutes, Troy stopped beneath a tree so Gabriella could regain her breath. Both of them were soaked to the bone, but it didn't seem to matter.

"Shesh, you act like you've never run a day in your life," Troy teased as she panted.

Clutching her chest, she replied, "No, some of us just aren't lunkhead jocks."

Troy looked hurt but quickly hid it, knowing she was joking. "Gabi, you don't have to be so mean!"

Gabriella laughed. "You have yet to see mean."

"What are you going to do?" he asked, his eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"I'll kick your butt!" she warned.

Troy chuckled. "I'd pay to see that."

"You won't have to." Just as Troy turned to walk away, he felt something bump against his backside. It didn't hurt, but it made him laugh.

"Oh, now you'll get it, Montez!" Troy threatened. Before he could do anything, Gabriella started sprinting down the road. Groaning, he immediately took off after her, silently praying that she made it home safely.

A few minutes later, a flash of lightening lit up the sky, followed by thunder. Surprised, Gabriella suddenly fell backwards, for she had always been terrified of lightening ever since she was younger. Troy, who was hot on her heels, dropped to the ground beside her moments later.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked her, pulling her into his lap.

"N-nothing," she lied. "Just, please, get me home."

Troy nodded and helped her up, putting his thoughts of revenge aside. "Ready to run some more?"

Gabriella nodded, keeping a hold on his hand as they started running again. In no time, they found themselves completely drenched but on her doorstep.

"You know, before we go inside, there's always been something I wanted to do," she started.

"Kiss in the rain?" he guessed.

"Yeah! How did you know?" she asked, smiling widely.

Troy laughed. "I know you too well. So, shall we?"

Gabriella nodded excitedly and followed him a few feet from the porch so they would be in the rain. Pulling her close to him, Troy tried not to drool upon seeing partially through her shirt from it being as wet as it was. Slowly, the couple leaned in until their lips met. It wasn't like the other times they kissed; this time felt more romantic and enjoyable. As Gabriella's hands ruffled his hair, his hands rubbed her back, but, eventually, his hands accidentally went lower than she was accustomed to, and so she pulled away, blushing.

"S-sorry, I guess I accidentally went a little too low," he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Gabriella giggled. "It's okay, Troy. I know you stare at it constantly. It was only a matter of time."

It was Troy's turn to blush. "Gabi, I'm sorry! It's the testosterone, I swear!"

Gabriella laughed harder at this. "I don't mind you staring, just don't touch."

Troy nodded. "Deal. Does this mean I get to watch you change?"

Playfully, Gabriella hit his chest. "Nice try, Bolton."

"Aw, c'mon! What's the fun of just looking, then?" he whined.

Gabriella sighed. Although she knew he was only joking, in a way, she felt a bit pressured. It wasn't his fault, for he never asked her for sex, but every time he joked with her like this, she felt some sort of obligation. "Troy, can you stop, please?"

Immediately, Troy's face fell. "Gabi, I'm really sorry! I would never want you to feel uncomfortable! I was just kidding!"

"I know, but, Troy, I'm just…uncomfortable about it sometimes," she explained. "It's not your fault so don't be sorry."

Troy nodded. "I won't do it anymore, I promise. Let's just go in."

Fumbling with her keys, she soon unlocked the door and ushered him inside. "Your date clothes are in my room, and I'll bring you some towels to dry off with."

Troy nodded and went to her room as she went to Maria's room to fetch him a towel. Looking out the bedroom window, Troy groaned, thankful to not have to drive in the mess outside, although he wished it would pass before their date in a few hours.

A few moments later, Gabriella came in and handed him a towel in which he gratefully accepted. "Aw, Troy, you're so soaked!" she cried, touching his dripping hair. "You could catch cold, pneumonia, anything!"

"Baby, relax, I'll be fine," he assured her, pulling his soaking shirt off without a second thought. Gabriella blushed, unable to tear her gaze from his well-defined chest. The rain went through his clothes, dampening his skin, making him that much more appealing. Troy chuckled, catching her gaze. "Like what you see?"

Blushing harder, she said, "If I told you that you have a very hot body, would it boost your ego?"

"Duh," he replied cockily.

"That's what I thought," she replied, finally tearing her eyes away. "When you're done, give me your wet clothes and I'll put them in the dryer."

Troy nodded as she started gathering her own outfit. When she was done, she left the room and headed for her mother's room to change.

* * *

As Gabriella put the finishing touches on her make-up, Troy knocked lightly on the bathroom door of her mother's room. He was already dressed in black dress pants and a blue button-up shirt, his hair neatly combed.

"Wow, wildcat, you clean up nice," she commented, but Troy was too busy drooling over her to hear her. She wore a black, spaghetti-strap, dress that showed off her curves perfectly. Catching his gaze, she laughed. "Troy, are you malfunctioning?"

Troy chuckled. "No, you just look that…amazing."

Grinning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and was just about to kiss him when the phone started ringing. The pair groaned and pulled apart. "I'll be back."

Troy watched as Gabriella left, wondering how he got so lucky as to have a girlfriend like her. Her more spunky side was finally revealing itself after Lance silenced it. He was glad to almost completely have the girl he first fell in love with back.

Glancing for a moment in the mirror, Troy made sure that everything was still in place, not wanting to look unprepared when he knew Maria would be taking pictures before they left.

Suddenly, loud sobbing could be heard throughout the entire house. Troy rushed downstairs and found Gabriella on the kitchen floor crying into her hands.


	19. Chapter 19

Two hours passed since Gabriella's break-down. Troy was on the floor cradling her in his arms ever since, but he still didn't know why she was crying. He tried asking her but he received only muffled replies. After half an hour, he gave up and instead just whispered comforting words into her ear as he held her close to him. Finally, after two hours, she seemed to be calming down enough to talk, and so he took advantage.

"Gabriella, what's wrong?" he asked her, his right hand now caressing her cheek in an effort to get her to look at him. "C'mon, you can tell me."

Tearing her eyes from his, Gabriella replied hoarsely. "Sh-she's gone."

Troy watched helplessly as Gabriella broke down again. Pushing him away, she suddenly found her strength and ran up to her room where she threw herself on the bed. She wanted to die. She wanted more than anything to commit suicide or to have Lance suddenly come in and kill her. She lost her. She lost the only person she thought would be there for her through to the end. Losing her at such a young age felt horrible. Her mother was only thirty-nine, too young to die like this.

"Gabriella, what's going on?" Gabriella stared coldly at the doorway, wishing Troy would disappear so she could be left alone to her misery.

"Leave me alone, Troy!" she yelled, her temper flaring. Was he stupid? Did she have to spell it out to him?

"No," he replied, being stubborn. Much to her dismay, Troy sat down next to her on the bed. "You and I both know that isn't truly what you want."

Frustrated, Gabriella sat up and coldly demanded, "Leave me alone! I want to be alone!"

Troy sighed dramatically, making it appear as though he was giving in. However, she was too upset to tell that he was acting. "Fine, if that's what you really want…"

"It is!" she snapped.

"Then, fine, I'll go. Don't try to stop me." With that, Troy walked downstairs and opened the door. Instead of leaving, although, he opened the front door and slammed it shut, making her believe he was gone. There was no way he would leave her like this; as upset as she seemed, she could commit suicide or anything, and Troy definitely didn't want that on his hands. He didn't know what he would do if something were to happen to her right now...

From upstairs, Gabriella heard the door slam shut and laid down, feeling a small wave of relief. After a few seconds, though, it dawned on her. She already lost her mother. Why did she just force the only person she had left to leave? Would he come back?

Fresh tears filled her eyes once more. Gingerly, she searched in her bag until she found the teddy bear Troy had given her. Hugging it tightly, she felt more overwhelmed than ever. Without her mother, she no longer had anyone who was guaranteed to always be there. Troy was obviously gone, and he was just her boyfriend; they weren't guaranteed to last.

In that moment, Gabriella wasn't sure who she wanted the most. She wanted her mother back more than anything, but she was undeniably gone and she couldn't have prevented the wreck. However, Troy's absence could've been prevented, and he was the best at comforting her, after all. He would be better at comforting her about her mother than her mother was at comforting her about Troy.

"Oh, Troy, please come back…" she whispered, wiping her eyes, unaware that Troy was standing in her doorway.

"Will you talk to me now?" he asked quietly.

Gabriella's head snapped up upon hearing his voice. Like a young child, she stretched her arms open wide for him to hold her, which he did without any hesitation. "Don't leave me again, please?"

"I never left," he replied. "Now, please tell me what happened so I can comfort you properly."

Nodding reluctantly, she explained, "I got a call…from the hospital…my mom…she was in a bad car wreck…her car flipped over...the other car is totaled...the driver ran away and no one saw the person... but mom…she didn't…."

Before she could finish, Gabriella broke down in sobs. Instinctively, Troy held her close and gently laid her down on the bed, figuring it would be more comfortable for both of them. It took him a few seconds for her words to sink in, but once it did, he flew into momentary shock.

"Baby, I-I'm so sorry!" he told her, his bright blue eyes filling with tears of his own. He was undeniably upset for his girlfriend. After everything they've experienced, he knew this would be their biggest challenge yet. "If there's anything, anything, anything I can do, name it."

"Just don't leave me!" she cried, realizing that those few minutes without him left her feeling more lost than anything.

"I won't leave you," he assured her, wiping her eyes. "I'll never leave you as long as you don't truly want me to."

"I want my mom," she whispered. "Why did she have to go? I already lost my dad!"

"I know you miss her, and I know it'll take time to adjust, but I'll be right here," he assured her. Gabriella buried her head deeper into his chest. She didn't speak for a while, not wanting to completely break down again.

"Gabi, I'm going to call my dad. He can come get us and you can stay with us until things get straightened out," he said, breaking the silence. Gabriella nodded as he pulled out his phone. The next few seconds he was talking to his father, but she hadn't paid any attention, for she was too caught up in her own thoughts. She never pictured she'd be moving in with her boyfriend of one month, but she had no choice unless she wanted to live alone. Troy was sweet, but she just hoped nothing would go wrong or else she would be out of a home.

"Baby, he's on his way," he told her, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I'll pack some of your clothes if you want."

Letting her go, Troy was about to get off the bed but Gabriella grabbed him by the shirt tail. "No, stay with me!"

"Gabi, I'm right here," he assured her. "I'm just getting your clothes."

After a few minutes, Gabriella was calmed down enough to nod, reluctantly letting him gather her clothes. Looking to the floor, thoughts started to swarm her mind. Would the void in her heart ever be filled again? Somehow, the emptiness hurt worse than anything she had ever felt. Would the feelings be there forever? She hoped not, for that feeling was enough to make her want to commit suicide.

"Here, these should be enough until tomorrow when we can come back," he told her, handing her the clothes and snapping her from her thoughts momentarily.

"Yeah, this is good for now. Thanks," she told him, trying to smile but failed.

Looking out the window, Troy noticed his father was outside waiting for them. "C'mon, Gabi, let's go."

After putting the clothes in her bag, Gabriella grasped Troy's hand as he led her outside. His touch was comforting to say the least. It seemed like he was telling her not to worry and that he was there for her just through his hand.

* * *

The car ride was spent in almost complete silence. Troy and Gabriella sat side-by-side, and he held her tightly, every once in a while a tear escaping and falling to his already tear-soaked shirt.

When they arrived, Troy took her to his room and sat her on his bed. His room wasn't anywhere nearly as clean as her room, but she didn't mind. It was still homey and it definitely said "Troy Bolton lives here."

"The guest room needs cleaning out worse than this room, so you can sleep here and I'll sleep on the couch," he told her.

"But, I don't want to kick you out of your own room. I'll sleep on the couch," she offered.

"Baby, I don't mind. Just sleep up here," he told her. "Besides, here it's hard to not dream of me."

Instead of her usual retort to his cockiness, Gabriella said nothing. Maybe she should sleep there, she thought. In his room, she could feel his presence everywhere, even when he wasn't there. Downstairs, however, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, for he wouldn't be there in any form.

"Fine, I'll--"

"Oh, Gabriella, you're here!" Before she could finish, Troy's mother had entered and stood in the doorway.

"Um, hi, Mrs. Bolton," Gabriella greeted nervously. This was only the third time she had met Cindy, and so she was still timid in her presence.

"Uh, Mom, can you wait outside the room? I'll tell you what's going on once I get her settled," Troy told her.

Cindy nodded and left the room. Turning to Troy, Gabriella gave him a worried glance. "Don't go," she whimpered.

Troy sighed and hugged her comfortingly. Times like these, she was like a small child afraid of being separated from her parents, only she was terrified of being away from him. "Baby girl, I'll only be a minute, I promise. You'll be safe here, don't worry."

Reluctantly, she nodded as he kissed her forehead. She didn't know why she was afraid of him being out of her sight. Was it because she lost both of her parents when she wasn't with them? Maybe the same would happen with Troy, she thought miserably.

"I'll be back," he assured her and left the room.

Once he met his parents in the living room, Troy took a deep breath, avoiding their questioning gazes. "Gabriella got a call when we got home. Her mom was in a fatal car accident. They said her car flipped over somehow and the other driver fled on foot and no one saw him or her in the rain." Jack and Cindy stayed quiet, letting the information sink in, and so he continued, "I couldn't let her stay there alone. She needs me now more than ever. I'm all she has right now."

Troy waited anxiously for them to say something and Jack finally spoke, "We'll figure out something. She can stay here for now, though."

Troy smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much!"

"Does she need to go to the hospital?" Cindy asked him.

"Probably," Troy replied. "But, I don't know if she's ready."

"We'll go," Cindy offered. "We knew Maria, too."

Troy nodded. "I'll see what Gabriella wants to do."

Quickly, Troy went back to his room, only to find that Gabriella had broken down again. "Gabi, sh," he whispered, rubbing her back. "It's okay, I'm here."

Nestling under his arm, Gabriella started to calm down. He was being so sweet, but she knew she had to be getting on his nerves.

"I'm sorry!" she cried.

"Don't be. You just lost your mom, I know you're upset," he soothed her. "I'll never get mad at you for being upset."

"I-I never got to say goodbye," she whispered.

"I know," he replied. "You didn't deserve to have this happen, nor did your mom. It was fate."

"I-I need her," she whimpered.

"If God thought you needed her, He wouldn't have taken her," he stated. "You can get through this, Gabriella. I know you can, and I'll be helping you each step of the way."

At this, Gabriella couldn't help but to smile slightly. "You always know the perfect thing to say."

"One of my many talents," he said. "Anyway, do you want to go to the hospital or stay here and go tomorrow? It's your call. My parents are going regardless."

Gabriella sighed. "I'm not strong enough right now. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I know it's hard," he comforted, stroking her hair lovingly. "I'll stay here with you if you don't want to go." Gabriella nodded. "All right, I'll tell my parents and I'll be back in a few."

Nodding again, Gabriella watched him leave. Although she knew he wouldn't, she couldn't help but to wonder what would happen if he left and never came back. She never thought her mother would do that to her, either, but it happened. She knew her mother was still alive in her heart, but it felt weird knowing that she would never receive any hugs, kisses, comfort from her, nor anymore 'I love you's. When things got rough at school or in her friendships/relationships, her mother was her favorite person to go to, for she was always on her side.

"Mommy, I miss you," she whispered, a few tears falling from her eyes.

"Gabi, my parents went on to the hospital. Do you want something to eat?" Troy asked her, suddenly re-entering the room.

"No, I'm okay," she replied.

"Gabi, you haven't eaten in six hours," he reminded her. "I can't let you starve yourself."

Gabriella sighed. "Something light, I guess."

Troy nodded. "You can come down to the living room."

As Gabriella walked out of the room, Troy carefully placed his arm around her. He hated seeing her like this; he knew she had an excuse to be depressed, but he missed his bouncy, bubbly Gabriella he saw just a few hours ago. However, being rude or mean to her over it was completely out of the question. He would stand beside her no matter what happened, especially times like these.

When Gabriella sat on the couch, Troy made his way to the kitchen, figuring some warm chicken noodle soup would be right for her. Hugging herself, Gabriella watched him disappear into the kitchen. She wished he would stay and talk to her, but she knew he cared about her and didn't want her to starve.

Several minutes later, Troy emerged from the kitchen carrying a soup bowl. Sitting down beside her, Troy tried to hand her the bowl but she refused.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood," she declined apologetically.

"Gabriella, you're going to eat, even if I have to feed you," he told her stubbornly.

Gabriella sighed and finally took the bowl. "What about you?"

"I'll eat something later," he answered, watching as she slowly raised the spoon to her mouth. Her hand was trembling, ready to drop the spoon, but Troy quickly held her hand in his, stopping her shaking. He sent her a small smile, silently offering her his help, but Gabriella shook her head.

After several bites, Gabriella stood and took the bowl to the kitchen. The soup was good, but she wasn't up for eating at the time. When she returned, however, Troy was gone.

"Troy!" she cried, fearing that he was mad at her for barely eating the soup he made.

"Relax, Gabi." She sighed in relief when he reappeared, blanket, shorts and t-shirt in hand. "Here's something comfortable you can change into. I thought you might want a more comforting atmosphere."

Gabriella nodded and took the clothes. They were his and would be big on her, but luckily the shorts had a draw string.

After changing and washing her face, Gabriella went down to the couch and sat next to him. Draping the blanket over their bodies, Troy placed his arm around her protectively, as if to say no one would hurt her and that he would always be there. Tired, she placed her head under his arm and closed her eyes as he rubbed her arm. She wanted to say something, but she felt as though she already knew his responses to everything she wanted to say.

Resting his head on hers, Troy whispered into her hair, "I'll always be there for you. I promise I won't desert you, especially because I know I'm all you have left, and I'll love you, forever. I would even if both of your parents were alive." Gabriella felt him kiss the top of her head. "I love you so much."

"I wanna die, Troy," she blurted out hoarsely, her eyes filling with tears. "I wanna be with them!"

Although she couldn't see it, Troy's calm attitude had turned sour by her words. By the time she realized it, he'd gripped her shoulder so tightly that it hurt."Don't you ever say that! I'm doing the best I can to comfort you, but if you go, my world will be gone! You act like no one cares about you besides your mom, but you're wrong! I care a lot for you, and so do your friends!"

Before Troy knew what he had just done, Gabriella burst into tears. His mood softened immensely, knowing he had just done one of the worst things he could've done. "Baby, baby, please, don't cry! I'm sorry I yelled!"

Gabriella sniffled. "I'm sorry! I was being selfish! I know you care about me! I'd never take my own life!"

"I know, G," he whispered, silently wanting to kill the heartless person who did that to her mother. That person was the source of Gabriella's heartache, and he wished he could personally find him or her and make sure they never saw the light of day ever again.

"I love you. I could never put you through that," she told him.

"I'll never do that to you, either, Gabi," he replied, kissing her forehead, glad that her latest crying session was brief. "When I was in that coma, I remember your mom talking to me. Do you know what she said?"

"Th-that you were right for me, and that she couldn't think of anyone better suited for taking care of me," Gabriella recalled.

"Exactly," he confirmed. "And, Gabriella, that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to take care of you."

Gabriella smiled slightly, for she thought he was absolutely perfect. With his words, he lifted part of her load from her shoulders. "How did I get so lucky?" she wondered aloud. "You're absolutely amazing."

Troy shook his head. "I'm just a guy, remember."

"You're not just a guy to me anymore," she disagreed. "You're my life now."

Leisurely, he leaned forward and pecked her forehead, saying nothing. What could he say that she didn't already know? She was also his life, but he figured that she knew that. She already knew that he would do anything for her....

Soon, silence overtook the couple. When she drifted off to sleep, Troy laid her head in his lap and carefully brought her feet onto the couch without waking her. Gently, he brushed the hair out of her eyes and murmured, "I love you, Angel."

* * *

"_Get away from my girl, Bolton!" Gabriella shivered in fear as Lance came closer. Troy stood protectively in front of her._

"_Stay calm, I'll protect you," he whispered before turning to Lance, his anger rising as he spoke, "She's not your girl anymore!"_

"_Quit defending her!" Lance hollered._

"_Both of you, stop, please! Lance, just leave Troy and I alone!" Gabriella cried._

"_Not until I get what I want." Lance pulled something from his back pocket. "And, if I can't have you, I'll get what's stopping me."_

_Before Gabriella knew what was going on, a shot rang out and Troy's body crashed into her, sending both of them to the ground. Gabriella cried upon seeing Troy's limp, vulnerable body. His eyes were open but glazed over, and he looked at her as if she was his last hope of survival._

"_Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, Troy!" she cried, cradling him in her arms. Her own tears dripped onto his face. "Troy, stay awake! Stay with me!" _

_Troy lie motionless, gasping for air. Gabriella, who had forgotten Lance's presence, shrieked when he grabbed her by the arm and forced upwards. "No! Don't, please!"_

_Lance smirked. "Tell me you love me."_

"_Wh-what?"_

"_I said, tell me you love me. If you don't, I'll shoot him again," Lance stated._

_Gabriella gulped. "I-I love you." Her tears spilled out again. _

_Lance's smirk grew. "And you don't love him."_

_Looking at Troy, Gabriella's heart fell when she noticed he had fully slipped into unconsciousness, although in the corner of his eye, it appeared as though there was a tear about to fall._

"_I-I don't love Troy," she said, barely managing to fight back tears. _

_Before Gabriella knew it, Lance's gun was raised once again, aimed at Troy. "You said you wouldn't!"_

"_I'm not a man of my word." Another shot rang out. Gabriella gasped in horror as blood oozed from Troy's skull._

"Troy!" Gabriella woke in a cold sweat, gasping for air. Opening her eyes, she found herself in his room. The alarm clock read 12:39 AM, indicating that it was only a nightmare.

"Gabriella, what's wrong? Baby, what happened?" Troy asked worriedly, rushing to her side. Even though he was in the living room, he heard her calling his name immediately.

"Troy!" she cried, throwing her arms around him. "It was awful! I had a dream where Lance shot you, everything was the same, but then he shot you again, in the head!"

"Baby, it's okay," he assured her. "I'm here. I'm not leaving you. It was just a dream."

Looking him in the eyes, she replied, "I almost lost you once."

"Almost doesn't count," he stated.

"Troy, can you stay with me, please?" she asked timidly. "I'm scared…."

Troy nodded and laid down beside her. Gabriella immediately snuggled into his bare arms, never able to get over the feelings they gave her every time he held her. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"Bah, I wasn't sleeping anyhow," he assured her. "How could I sleep when my beautiful damsel in distress was up here without her Prince Charming's arms around her?"

Gabriella smiled slightly, momentarily forgetting her problems. Although she lost her mother, she still had Troy to make life easier. She knew she would still miss Maria badly, but she also knew that she could move past it with him by her side.

Suddenly, Gabriella felt something fall on her shoulder. Looking up, she found it was Troy's head, indicating he had fallen asleep. Sighing, Gabriella kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, Wildcat, aka, teddy bear."


	20. Chapter 20

An: This is the final chapter (I know, finally, right?). Anyway, for those who didn't read the original and therefore haven't read the sequel, there is one, it's called I'll Stand My You, but warning: read it at your own risk. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

* * *

The next morning, Troy awoke to find something warm pressed tightly against his chest. Smiling, he brushed the hair from Gabriella's eyes and kissed her forehead, hoping not to wake her. He could tell she had cried a little in her sleep, but she seemed calmed now.

Carefully, Troy slid his arm out from under her neck and got dressed for the day. Suddenly, Gabriella's phone went off but Troy quickly answered it before it could wake her.

"Hello," he greeted the person after stepping out of the room.

"Troy?" the girl said, partially shocked.

"Gabriella's still asleep, I didn't want to wake her," he explained, realizing it was Taylor. "I know what you're probably wondering, but a lot happened yesterday."

"I heard about Ms. Montez," Taylor started. "How is she handling it?"

"She's opening up to me," he told her. "She's doing better than I thought, but she's been really, super clingy to me."

"She will be for a while," Taylor replied. "She's probably scared you'll go and she'll never see you again, which is what happened with her mom."

"Maybe," he agreed. "Uh, do you wanna talk to her? I guess it's all right if I wake her."

"Yeah," she answered.

Stepping back into his room, Troy gently shook Gabriella until her eyes fluttered open seconds later. "Wh-what?"

"Gabi, Taylor wants to talk to you," Troy told her, handing her the phone.

Reluctantly, Gabriella took the phone. She didn't feel like talking about what happened this early in the morning, but she knew that Taylor was worried about her.

"Hi, Taylor," she greeted weakly.

"Gabriella, I heard what happened! I'm so, so, sorry!" Taylor cried. "If there's anything I can do, please tell me."

"There isn't," she replied. "Thanks, but I think I can manage."

"Are you sure?" Taylor asked, surprised by her attitude. "If you want, I'll round up the others and we can all meet at your place and help you get your things."

"That'd be great," she told her.

"What time?" Taylor asked her.

"Maybe around noon," she answered.

"All right, see you then."

Troy listened as her phone clicked off, glad to finally be able to talk to her. "Gabi, we need to go to the hospital…"

At this, Gabriella suddenly started bawling once again. She was deathly afraid of seeing her mother dead. She had seen her father dead and it left her with nothing but a heavily broken heart; she didn't want to do it again. And, now, she would need to make funeral arrangements for her mother, as terrifying as it seemed.

"Gabi," Troy started gently. "You have to do this. I'll be right there, though."

"You act like that's all I need!" she snapped.

"It's not," he whispered, wiping her wet cheeks. "I just know you need someone there for you, and I'm the one for the job."

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I know I've been a pain, and I'm sorry our date got ruined yesterday."

"Baby, it wasn't ruined," he assured her. "We just had a change in plans, that's all. Besides, the goal was to spend time together. We spent plenty of time together last night. Heck, you live here now."

"Troy, Gabriella, come on!" the couple heard Jack yell from another room. "We have to get to the hospital."

Looking back at Gabriella, Troy gave her a reassuring look. "Gabi, you can do this. I'll be right next to you through it all."

Gabriella nodded, taking his hand as they walked out the door. Oddly, she knew he was right. She could handle this. She felt she could do anything with him at her side.

* * *

Four hours later, Gabriella had been to the hospital and was at her old house. The hospital visit was excruciating for her, especially upon seeing her mother's corpse. Soon, they were taken elsewhere, though she hadn't paid much attention to what was happening at the time. It was like she was in a trance. She signed several papers, but she didn't read them, nor had she really been listening to what everyone around her was telling her. Since seeing her mother's dead body, her mind had been numb, her eyes dull. Every once in a while, Troy had either held her hand or placed his hand on her knee for comfort, but she hadn't reacted to his touch at all.

Now, standing outside of her home for the last time, Gabriella's eyes that had lost their color were suddenly back to the chocolate-brown color Troy missed. Her once emotionless demeanor turned to sadness as they drew closer. His father had an errand to run and would be back in a couple of hours to pick them up and her things.

"Gabriella, are you okay?" he asked softly, holding her hand as she opened the front door. He knew something had to be wrong, for her reaction to seeing her mother was nothing compared to the night before.

"Fine," she replied, stepping inside. When she did, however, her eyes immediately flooded with tears that never fell. It was an inner battle: she didn't want to cry, but, at the same time, all she wanted to do was cry.

"I'll help gather your things," he told her quickly. "Where do you want me to start? Clothes, jewelry, make-up, what?"

"You can start with my books, CDs, movies, that sort of thing," she answered, handing him a large trash bag. "My books and CDs are in my room, but most DVDs are down here."

Troy nodded, watching as she went upstairs before going to his own task. Beside the television, he found the DVDs which all he recognized to be popular romance movies, such as The Notebook and A Cinderella Story, even the Titanic. Chuckling lightly, he pulled them all off of the shelves and carefully placed them in a bag, making sure nothing was scratched or broken.

As he did this, the door suddenly flew open. Before Troy could realize who it was, the guy tackled him to the ground. He tried to get up but was kicked in the stomach.

"Stay out of this, Bolton! I have a bone to pick with Montez!" It didn't take long for Troy to recognize Lance's voice. Hastily, Lance kicked him one last time in the head, making sure he was down.

Unknown to Lance, however, Gabriella witnessed what had just happened and was now in her room, on the phone and frantically waiting for police to answer. Sprinting up the stairs, he burst through the door and grabbed her phone, throwing it to the ground with a thud before she told more than her name. She backed away in sheer terror, unable to speak. Sending her a menacing look, he spoke, "Thought you'd be off the hook by sending me to prison, huh?" Lance snickered when she reached the corner. "Well, Hunny, you just won a free ride to Hell!"

Gabriella grimaced as he pressed his body against hers, having a feeling she knew what he would do. His hands traveled south, touching her through her pants. Gabriella felt sick inside but there was nothing she could do. She tried to push his hand away but to no avail, for he only became rougher. Lance smirked at her discomfort. "I can honestly say I can't wait to get inside you."

Angrily, Gabriella suddenly slapped him. Instead of anger, however, he was clearly amused. "Feisty, aren't we?" he taunted.

"I hate you! Get out of my life!" she yelled, finally finding her voice.

"I wouldn't talk like that if I were you," he warned, grabbing her wrist. "You're coming with me!"

Hastily, he pulled Gabriella out of the room, his destination outside. However, it was an ambush. Just as he stepped out, he found himself sprawled out on the floor.

"Gabi, run!" Troy yelled, holding Lance firmly to the ground. Being the stronger of the two, Lance got his arm free and quickly whirled out his gun as she started downstairs. Before Troy could get it, he shot in her direction. Although it didn't hit her, Gabriella turned and froze in place.

"Neither of you move a muscle or she goes!" Lance threatened, pointing the gun straight at her chest.

Gabriella stood fearfully, not even breathing for several seconds. Troy froze as well. He couldn't let Lance kill her. He promised her that no one would hurt her again, and that promise he intended to keep. If she went, he would die alongside her, he knew.

"Now, get the hell off me!" he barked at Troy who was in a stunned state, lost in thought.

Scrambling to his feet, Troy watched as he, too, stood, but in the second he let his guard down, Troy got in front of Gabriella. Grasping her shoulders, he yelled, "Run!"

"I'm not leaving you!" she replied stubbornly. This was her mess, after all. She wouldn't let Troy endure pain over her any longer. She was tired of being weak. Just once couldn't she fight her own battles?

Troy's eyes clouded with tears, wondering if this would be their last moments together. "Sweetheart, I love you. Please, just save yourself."

"I-I can't do this!" she cried, tears streaming down both of their faces, both dreading that this would be the end.

"Neither of you are going anywhere!" Lance yelled, using the gun to knock Troy out cold.

"Troy!" she cried, wishing he would get up, but he never did. Bursting into tears, she fell to her knees, unaware of the knife now in Lance's hand. Suddenly, she felt something slash her face then various other places of her body before falling into unconsciousness. Her last thoughts were consumed with Troy.

* * *

"…Seriously, that's not right!" Chad argued.

"Yes, it is!" Taylor defended.

"Not!" Chad denied.

"Guys, don't start this…" Kelsi interrupted. The two had been arguing for the past five minutes, but none of them remembered what started the argument.

"Fine," the two caved in, dropping the argument.

Opening the door, Taylor gasped in horror. A trail of blood leading up the stairs from the door immediately caught the pair's attention. Hastily, Chad ran upstairs and found possibly the worst sight he had ever seen. On the floor lie Troy, battered and bloodied. There were rips in his clothes from apparently a knife that Lance had used on Troy once he was done with Gabriella. However, there were no signs of her.

"No…," Chad whispered, his eyes clouded with tears, for this was his best friend of more than a decade.

"Chad, what--" Taylor covered her mouth upon seeing Troy's limp body to keep from screaming. The others, which consisted of Ryan, Zeke, Jason, Sharpay and Kelsi all held the same expressions.

"Oh my God! Is he alive?" Sharpay asked the one question on everyone's mind, but her question was answered when Troy finally began to stir.

"Troy, you're alive!" Chad cried in disbelief.

As he sat up, Troy noticed his entire body ached and remembered the fight. He searched the group for Gabriella, but she wasn't with them. Panic rose inside of him. Had Lance taken her? Was she still alive? "Where is she?" he demanded an answer.

"Gabriella?" Kelsi guessed. "We don't know. She wasn't here when we got here."

"Oh, God," he started, his mind racing, unsure of what to do. "We have to find her! That bastard must have taken her!"

"Troy, just calm down, they couldn't have gotten too far," Zeke assured him. "Someone call the police!"

"On it!" Sharpay replied, grabbing her cell phone.

"We can't wait on them! I have to find her!" Troy stated, taking action. It would take the police longer than it would them, he thought. They knew exactly who they were after, the police did, too, but he felt strongly that he could find Gabriella easier without them asking dozens of questions before and during the search.

"That's stupid! Even though they may not be far yet, there's still so many places they could be!" Chad argued. "Just be patient."

"I don't care! She needs me!" Troy yelled, but his voice dropped suddenly as he added, "I need her."

"What you need is the hospital," Taylor interrupted the argument. "You'll need stitches for sure."

"I don't care!" he said, tears falling from his eyes. Suddenly, he grew quiet, his voice barely audible, "I don't know what I'll do without her." This statement was true. Already, he felt completely lost. Ever ounce of confidence he once had was being drained from his being. However, this was only the start of his depression....

"Oh, Troy, don't worry, Gabriella will be fine," Kelsi assured him, patting his back comfortingly.

"She better be," Troy warned, his anger rising. He would find his angel, with or without them or the police. She was his to protect, not theirs. They never made her the promises he did, and so he refused to break them.

'_Wherever you are, Gabriella Montez, Troy Bolton won't give up his search…'_


End file.
